A bright red crab with large claws standing on a sandy beach near a small wave.

cangrejo

kan-GREH-ho

nounmA2

crab?the animal or the seafood

Also:crayfish?specifically 'cangrejo de río'

📝 In Action

Había muchos cangrejos en las rocas de la playa.

There were many crabs on the rocks at the beach.

Pedimos una ensalada con palitos de cangrejo.

We ordered a salad with crab sticks.

Ese proyecto va como el cangrejo; en vez de avanzar, retrocede.

That project is going backwards; instead of moving forward, it's regressing.

Word Connections

Synonyms

cámbaro (crab (regional/Cantabria))

Common Collocations

cangrejo de río – crayfish / freshwater crab
cangrejo ermitaño – hermit crab
palitos de cangrejo – imitation crab / crab sticks

Idioms & Expressions

ir como el cangrejo – to move backward or get worse instead of improving

💡 Grammar Points

Gender of the word

This word is masculine. Even if you are talking about a female crab, you still use 'el cangrejo'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't confuse with the zodiac sign

Mistake: "Using 'Cangrejo' for the star sign."

Correction: In Spanish, the zodiac sign is 'Cáncer', though the symbol for it is a 'cangrejo'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing progress

Because crabs are famous for walking sideways (and appearing to move backward), use the phrase 'como el cangrejo' to describe a situation that isn't going well.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: cangrejo

Question 1 of 2

What does the expression 'ir como el cangrejo' mean?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

cangrejal(an area full of crabs) - noun

cangrejera(crab trap / water shoe) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'cangrejo' refer to both sea and river animals?

Yes! While it usually refers to sea crabs, you can specify 'cangrejo de río' for freshwater crayfish.

Is there a female version of the word?

No, 'cangrejo' is a masculine noun. To specify the sex of the animal, you would say 'el cangrejo macho' (male) or 'el cangrejo hembra' (female).