barriga
/bah-REE-gah/
belly
In Spanish, 'barriga' is commonly used to refer to a person's or animal's belly.
barriga(noun)
belly
?general anatomy
,tummy
?informal or affectionate
stomach
?referring to the external area
,potbelly
?referring to a large stomach
📝 In Action
Me duele la barriga después de comer tanto.
A1My tummy hurts after eating so much.
El bebé tiene una barriga muy tierna.
A1The baby has a very cute belly.
A Juan le está saliendo barriga porque no hace ejercicio.
B1Juan is getting a potbelly because he doesn't exercise.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'the' instead of 'my'
In Spanish, when talking about body parts, we usually use 'la' (the) instead of 'mi' (my). Say 'me duele la barriga' (the belly hurts me) rather than 'mi barriga'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Barriga vs. Estómago
Mistake: "Using 'estómago' for everything."
Correction: Use 'estómago' for the internal organ and 'barriga' for the visible belly area.
⭐ Usage Tips
Is it rude?
'Barriga' is friendly and neutral. If you want to be very polite or medical, use 'vientre' or 'abdomen'. If you are being funny or very informal, use 'panza'.
The word 'barriga' can also describe a rounded bulge on an object, like the curve of a pot.
barriga(noun)
bulge
?referring to a rounded part of an object
swell
?referring to the curved part of a jar or guitar
📝 In Action
La barriga de esta jarra de barro es muy ancha.
B2The bulge of this clay jar is very wide.
La pared tiene una barriga y parece que se va a caer.
C1The wall has a bulge and looks like it's going to fall.
💡 Grammar Points
Descriptive Nouns
Many Spanish words for body parts are also used to describe parts of objects that look similar (like the 'eye' of a needle or 'belly' of a jar).
⭐ Usage Tips
Visualizing shape
Use 'barriga' whenever an object that should be flat is curving outward like a stomach.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: barriga
Question 1 of 2
If someone is being lazy and not helping, which idiom would you use?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'barriga' rude to use?
Not at all. It is the standard, informal word for 'belly' or 'tummy'. However, if you are at the doctor, they might use 'abdomen' or 'estómago'.
What is the difference between 'barriga' and 'panza'?
They are very similar. 'Barriga' is standard and neutral, while 'panza' is a bit more informal or 'folksy'. In some countries, 'panza' can sound slightly more vulgar if used to describe a person's weight.