perra
“perra” means “female dog” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
female dog
Also: bitch
📝 In Action
Mi vecina tiene una perra muy amigable que se llama Luna.
A1My neighbor has a very friendly female dog named Luna.
La perra acaba de tener seis cachorros.
A2The dog just had six puppies.
bitch
📝 In Action
Le dijo que era una perra solo porque no estaba de acuerdo con él.
C1He called her a bitch just because she didn't agree with him.
¡No seas perra y comparte las galletas!
B2Don't be a bitch and share the cookies!
awful, terrible, miserable
📝 In Action
Tuve una jaqueca perra todo el día de ayer.
B2I had a terrible migraine all day yesterday.
¡Qué vida más perra! Nada me sale bien.
B2What a miserable life! Nothing is going right for me.
pittance
Also: old coin
📝 In Action
Después de tanto trabajar, me pagaron cuatro perras.
C1After all that work, they paid me peanuts (four pennies).
No tengo ni una perra para comprar el pan.
C1I don't have a single dime to buy bread.
Vocabulary Collections
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Words that translate to "perra" in Spanish:
awful→bitch→female dog→miserable→old coin→pittance→terrible→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: perra
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'perra' to mean 'terrible' or 'awful'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The origin of 'perro'/'perra' is one of the great mysteries of the Spanish language. It's thought to come from an onomatopoeic sound 'prrr' used by shepherds to call their dogs. It appeared in Spanish around the 12th-13th century, replacing the Latin word 'canis' (which gave us words like 'canine').
First recorded: c. 1250
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it always offensive to say 'perra'?
No, not at all! If you are talking about a female dog, 'perra' is the correct and neutral word to use. It only becomes a very strong and offensive insult when you use it to describe a woman.
What's the difference between 'perro' and 'perra'?
It's about gender. 'Perro' refers to a male dog, or to dogs in general. 'Perra' specifically refers to a female dog. This male/female distinction is common for animals in Spanish (e.g., gato/gata for cats).
Why would an old coin be called a 'perra'?
It's a historical curiosity from Spain. Old 5 and 10 céntimo coins had a lion on them, but people thought it looked more like a dog ('perro'). The smaller coin was nicknamed 'perra chica' (little dog) and the larger one 'perra gorda' (fat dog). The name stuck!