zoológico
/θooˈloxiko/masculine
The English phrase 'zoo' is translated into Spanish as zoológico. Wiktionary also lists zoo and jardín zoo.
Meaning: park where live animals are exhibited (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| zoológico | /θooˈloxiko/ /sooˈloxiko/ |
masculine |
| zoo | /ˈθoː/ /ˈsoː/ |
masculine |
| jardín zoo | /xaɾdin θoo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /xaɾdin soo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
All forms refer to a park where live animals are exhibited.
Which one should you use?
While zoológico is the standard term, you may also see zoo or jardín zoo used to refer to the same thing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, some people may use el zooparque interchangeably with el zoológico.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because 'zoo' is masculine, you must use the masculine article el when referring to it.
How do you pronounce it?
/θooˈloxiko/
Did you know?
- While zoológico is the standard term, some people use the term bioparque to describe modern facilities that prioritize conservation and biodiversity over exhibition.
- The term jardín zoo stems from the historical European practice of treating animal collections as 'zoological gardens', merging botany and zoology.
- The Spanish word jardín is a cognate of the English 'garden', meaning they both share a common ancestor from a Proto-Indo-European word for 'enclosure'.
Examples in context
- Ayer fui al zoo.I went to the zoo yesterday.This sentence is useful for expressing where you went in the past using zoo.Tatoeba #514886 by Shishir, translation #1876 by Swift
- ¿Quieres ir al zoo?Do you want to go to the zoo?This sentence is useful for asking a question about visiting the zoo.Tatoeba #2752929 by Shishir, translation #2752912 by Hybrid
- No fui al zoológico.I didn't go to the zoo.This sentence is useful for stating that you did not go to the zoológico.Tatoeba #4721084 by DarkHollow, translation #4719914 by dhirensahu
- El parque zoológico ha invertido en la conservación de especies en peligro.The zoo has invested in species conservation.
- 90 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are planning their weekend trip.
- LucíaMañana podemos visitar el zoológico.Tomorrow we can visit the zoo.
- JavierMe parece una idea excelente, Lucía.That sounds like an excellent idea, Lucía.
- LucíaQuiero ver los elefantes del zoológico.I want to see the elephants at the zoo.
- JavierYo prefiero ver los tigres, Javier.I prefer to see the tigers, Javier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zoo” translations and entries zoológico, zoo, 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 jardín, zoo, zoológico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
