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perro

PEH-rroh'pero

“perro” means “dog” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

dog

Also: hound
NounmA1
A friendly, healthy brown and white dog sitting happily on a patch of green grass, wagging its tail.

📝 In Action

Mi perro se llama Fido.

A1

My dog's name is Fido.

Los perros ladran mucho por la noche.

A2

The dogs bark a lot at night.

Saqué a pasear al perro esta mañana.

A2

I took the dog for a walk this morning.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • can (dog (more formal/literary))
  • chucho (mutt, mongrel (informal))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • perro guardián – guard dog
  • perro callejero – stray dog
  • comida para perros – dog food

Idioms & Expressions

  • llevar una vida de perros – to lead a very hard or miserable life
  • ser el perro del hortelano – to be a dog in the manger (to not let others enjoy something you don't use or want)

dog

Also: jerk, bastard
NounmB2slang
A cartoonish man with a sly, untrustworthy expression, wearing a dark coat and looking over his shoulder conspiratorially, symbolizing deceit or a despicable character.

📝 In Action

No confíes en él, es un perro.

B2

Don't trust him, he's a dog/jerk.

¡Qué perro! Me mintió todo el tiempo.

B2

What a dog! He lied to me the whole time.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • canalla (scoundrel)
  • sinvergüenza (shameless person)

Idioms & Expressions

  • tratar a alguien como a un perro – to treat someone very badly or with contempt

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "perro" in Spanish:

bastard→dog→hound→jerk→

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: perro

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'perro' to talk about a person's character?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
perrito(puppy, little dog) — Noun
perrera(kennel, dog pound) — Noun
perruno(canine, dog-like) — Adjective
perrazo(big dog) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
cerrohierrodestierro
📚 Etymology▼

The origin of 'perro' is a fun linguistic mystery! Unlike most Spanish words that come from Latin, 'perro' seems to have appeared out of nowhere in the Iberian Peninsula around the 11th century. One popular theory is that it comes from the sound 'brrr, prrr' that shepherds used to call their dogs.

First recorded: c. 11th century

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'perro' and 'pero'?

The only difference is the 'rr' sound, but it changes the meaning completely! 'Perro' (with a rolled 'rr') means 'dog'. 'Pero' (with a single 'r' tap) means 'but'. Practicing the 'rr' sound is key to being understood correctly.

How do I say 'puppy' in Spanish?

The most common word for puppy is 'cachorro'. You can also use the diminutive form 'perrito', which literally means 'little dog' but is often used for puppies.