Es un perro, es todo.
It's a dog, that's all.
The suspicious noise turns out to be a stray dog, and un perro here means just a dog, nothing more.
From Oblivion · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "dog" in Spanish
el perro
nounmasculineplural: los perrosfeminine: la perra
"Dog" in Spanish is el perro. A female dog is la perra, and a small or cute dog is el perrito. Roll the double rr, because with a single r, pero means "but".
Hear "perro" in real movie scenes
Two scenes, two very different dogs. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Rex es un perro detector.
Rex is a detection dog.
A woman explains that this dog works and finds things with his nose, and the word for his job goes after perro.
From Hudson & Rex · Spanish audio
Perro, perra, perrito: the dog words
One root, a few endings. Each ending changes who or what you mean.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el perro | dog | The general word, and the one for a male dog. |
| la perra | female dog | Like the English word for a female dog, it's also used as an insult, so watch the context. |
| el perrito, la perrita | little dog, doggy | The -ito ending makes it small or affectionate. People also use it for a puppy. |
| el cachorro | puppy | A young dog. You'll see it in pet shops and shelters. |
| el perro callejero | stray dog | Callejero comes from calle, street. |
Tip: On gates and fences you'll see Cuidado con el perro, which means "Beware of the dog".
Grammar: el perro, los perros
Four things to get right when you talk about dogs.
Male, female or any dog
el perro for a dog in general or a male dog, la perra for a female dog. A mixed group is los perros.Adjectives come after it
un perro grande, una perra pequeña, los perros simpáticos. The adjective agrees with the dog.The personal a with pets
Pets you care about often take a: Cuido a mi perro. With tener there's no a: Tengo un perro.Roll the rr
The double rr is a trill: PEH-rroh. A single tapped r gives you pero, "but".Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Mi perro es muy grande.
My dog is very big.
¿No te gustan los perros?
Don't you like dogs?
Cuido a mi perro todos los días.
I take care of my dog every day.
Ay, tienes un perro.
Oh, you have a dog.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗pero (meaning dog)
✓perro
With one tapped r, pero means "but". Trill the rr.
✗Me gusta perros
✓Me gustan los perros
Use gustan for a plural, and keep los when you talk about dogs in general.
✗Tengo a un perro
✓Tengo un perro
Tener doesn't take the personal a here.
Real conversation: a walk in the park
A short dialog with your neighbor on a morning walk.
You're walking your dog in the park in the morning, and your neighbor Carmen comes over.
¡Hola! ¡Qué perro más simpático!
Hi! What a friendly dog!
¡Gracias! Vengo por la mañana.
Thanks! I come here in the morning.
¡Qué bien! Yo salgo por la noche.
That's nice! I go out at night.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 26 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
The rolled rr in perro sounds like a dog's growl. Picture a dog going rrr every time you say the word.
Questions about "dog" in Spanish
How do you say dog in Spanish?
El perro. A female dog is la perra, and a small or cute dog is el perrito.
Is perro masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el perro, los perros. For a female dog, change the ending: la perra.
How do you say puppy in Spanish?
El cachorro. In everyday speech many people just say el perrito.
How do you pronounce perro?
Say PEH-rroh with a rolled rr. With a single tapped r, pero means "but".
