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caballo

/ka-BA-yo/

horse

A friendly, sturdy brown horse standing in a bright green meadow under a blue sky.

The primary meaning of caballo is 'horse', referring to the large, domesticated animal.

caballo(Noun)

mA1

horse

?

the animal

Also:

stallion

?

specifically a male horse

📝 In Action

Mi abuelo tiene un caballo blanco en su granja.

A1

My grandfather has a white horse on his farm.

Me encanta montar a caballo por el campo.

A2

I love to ride a horse through the countryside.

Los vaqueros domaron al caballo salvaje.

B1

The cowboys tamed the wild horse.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • corcel (steed)
  • potro (colt, foal)

Common Collocations

  • montar a caballo – to ride a horse
  • carrera de caballos – horse race
  • cola de caballo – ponytail (literally 'horse's tail')

Idioms & Expressions

  • a caballo regalado no se le mira el diente – Don't look a gift horse in the mouth; be grateful for what you get.

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

'Caballo' is a masculine word, so you always use 'el' or 'un' before it. For example, 'el caballo' (the horse) or 'un caballo' (a horse).

❌ Common Pitfalls

The Word for a Female Horse

Mistake: "Using 'la caballa' for a mare."

Correction: The correct word for a female horse is 'la yegua'. Be careful, because 'la caballa' is a completely different word that means 'mackerel' (a type of fish)!

⭐ Usage Tips

How to Say 'Horseback Riding'

The set phrase for 'to ride a horse' or 'horseback riding' is 'montar a caballo'. You don't usually need to add 'un' or 'el' in this phrase.

A stylized white, carved wooden knight chess piece resting on a dark square of a chessboard.

Caballo is also the Spanish word for the 'knight' chess piece, recognizable by its horse-head shape.

caballo(Noun)

mB1

knight

?

chess piece

📝 In Action

En ajedrez, el caballo se mueve en forma de L.

B1

In chess, the knight moves in an L-shape.

Sacrifiqué mi caballo para poner al rey en jaque.

B2

I sacrificed my knight to put the king in check.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • mover el caballo – to move the knight
  • sacrificar el caballo – to sacrifice the knight

💡 Grammar Points

Also Masculine

Just like the animal, the chess piece 'caballo' is also a masculine word. You'd say 'el caballo' when talking about the piece on the board.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Knight vs. Knight

Mistake: "Calling the chess piece 'el caballero'."

Correction: While 'caballero' does mean 'knight' (like a medieval warrior or a gentleman), the chess piece is always called 'el caballo'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Chess Vocabulary

This is an essential word for playing chess in Spanish, along with 'rey' (king), 'reina' (queen), 'torre' (rook), 'alfil' (bishop), and 'peón' (pawn).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: caballo

Question 1 of 1

If a friend says 'Moví mi caballo para proteger a la reina,' what are they talking about?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

caballero(gentleman, knight) - noun
caballería(cavalry, chivalry) - noun
cabalgar(to ride (a horse)) - verb
yegua(mare (female horse)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'caballo' and 'caballero'?

'Caballo' is the animal, a horse. 'Caballero' means 'gentleman' or 'knight' (a person). A fun way to remember is that a 'caballero' is someone who rides a 'caballo'.

How do you say 'pony' in Spanish?

The word for 'pony' in Spanish is 'el poni'. It looks and sounds very similar to the English word!