ratoncito Pérez
/ratonθito peɾeθ/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase 'tooth fairy' is translated into Spanish as ratoncito Pérez. Wiktionary also lists hada de los dientes and ratón Pérez.
Meaning: figure of modern myth said to give children a small amount of money in exchange for a milk tooth (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ratoncito Pérez | /ratonθito peɾeθ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /ratonsito peɾes/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| hada de los dientes | /ada de los djentes/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| ratón Pérez | /raˌtom ˈpeɾeθ/ /raˌtom ˈpeɾes/ |
masculine |
This term refers to the figure of a modern myth who visits children to leave a small amount of money in exchange for a lost milk tooth.
What does it mean word for word?
The name ratoncito Pérez is composed of ratón (mouse), the diminutive suffix -cito (little) and the surname Pérez, literally meaning 'little mouse Pérez'.
Which one should you use?
While hada de los dientes is a literal translation of 'tooth fairy', the culturally specific character used in the Spanish-speaking world is ratoncito Pérez. There is also the slightly less common variation ratón Pérez, which means 'mouse Pérez'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because ratoncito Pérez is a proper noun and is masculine, any adjectives describing him must be in the masculine form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ratonθito peɾeθ/
When do people say it?
In most Spanish-speaking countries, the figure of the tooth fairy is replaced by a small mouse named ratoncito Pérez.
Did you know?
- The character ratoncito Pérez was created in 1880 by the Spanish writer Luis Coloma for the young king Alfonso XIII, who was afraid of losing his teeth.
- The word hada comes from the Vulgar Latin word for 'goddess of fate', making it a linguistic relative of the English word 'fate'.
- In modern Spanish, the word ratón has a second meaning as a 'computer mouse', which is a direct loanword from English.
Examples in context
- El ratoncito Pérez enseña a los niños que pueden vender partes de su cuerpo por dinero.The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money.This sentence shows the educational aspect of the character's myth.Tatoeba #902005 by Shishir, translation #901597 by Spamster
- El ratoncito Pérez se ha llevado mi diente y me ha dejado 2 euros. Me los voy a gastar en chucherías.The tooth fairy took my tooth and left me 2 dollars. I'm going to spend it all on candy.This sentence is useful for describing a child receiving money for a tooth.Tatoeba #9432459 by Shishir, translation #10134315 by DJ_Saidez
- Jugando en los columpios, Sandra se cayó y se le cayó un diente. Después tuvo a su madre buscándolo por todo el parque porque decía que si no, no vendría el ratoncito Pérez.While playing on the swings, Sandra fell off and lost a tooth. Then she had her mother looking for it all over the park because she said that if they didn't find it, the tooth fairy wouldn't come.This sentence illustrates how a child might react to losing a tooth in relation to the character.Tatoeba #10145572 by Shishir, translation #10367099 by DJ_Saidez
- Ayer, mi hermanito ¡por fin perdió su primer diente! Lo puso debajo de la almohada para que el Ratón de los Dientes le dejara un regalo.Yesterday, my little brother finally lost his first tooth! He put it under the pillow so that the tooth fairy would leave him a gift.
- Mi hija me preguntó si existe el hada de los dientes. Le conté que cuando era niña, El Ratoncito Pérez me dejaba regalos bajo la almohada.My daughter asked me if the tooth fairy exists. I told her that when I was a child, El Ratoncito Pérez would leave gifts under my pillow.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about their daughter's lost tooth.
- Javier¡Mira! A la niña se le cayó un diente.Look! The girl lost a tooth.
- ElenaEntonces esta noche vendrá el ratoncito Pérez.Then the tooth fairy will come tonight.
- Javier¿Cuánto dinero le dejará el ratoncito Pérez?How much money will the tooth fairy leave her?
- ElenaCreo que una moneda de un euro es suficiente.I think a one-euro coin is enough.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tooth fairy” translations and entries ratoncito Pérez, ratón Pérez, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pérez, de, hada, los, ratoncito, ratón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
