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pulga

POOL-gah/ˈpul.ɡa/

“pulga” means “flea” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

flea

Also: small thing
NounfA1
Mexico
A tiny brown flea shown in detail against a plain white background.

📝 In Action

Mi perro tiene pulgas.

A1

My dog has fleas.

Las pulgas pueden saltar muy alto.

A2

Fleas can jump very high.

¡Vaya pulga de niño!

B1

What a tiny kid!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • parásito (parasite)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • mercado de pulgas – flea market
  • collar para pulgas – flea collar
  • picar una pulga – to get a flea bite

Idioms & Expressions

  • tener malas pulgas – to be easily annoyed or in a bad mood
  • echarle la pulga detrás de la oreja – to make someone suspicious or curious
  • no aguantar pulgas – to have no patience for nonsense

mini-sandwich

Also: slider
NounfB1informal
Spain
A very small, bite-sized sandwich on a plate.

📝 In Action

Pedimos dos pulgas de jamón.

B1

We ordered two ham mini-sandwiches.

La pulga de tortilla es mi favorita.

B1

The tortilla mini-sandwich is my favorite.

Es una pulga, no un bocadillo entero.

B2

It's a mini-sandwich, not a whole sub.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • montadito (small snack/sandwich)
  • tapa (small appetizer)

Common Collocations

  • pulga de jamón – mini ham sandwich
  • comer una pulga – to eat a mini-sandwich

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pulga" in Spanish:

flea→mini-sandwich→slider→small thing→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pulga

Question 1 of 3

What does it mean if your Spanish friend has 'malas pulgas'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pulguiento(flea-ridden) — Adjective
antipulgas(anti-flea) — Adjective
pulguita(tiny flea) — Noun
espulgar(to remove fleas / to examine closely) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
orugatortugaverruga
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'pulex', which referred to the same jumping insect. The word has remained remarkably stable in form over thousands of years.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pulgaItalian: pulceFrench: puce

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pulga' used for all small bugs?

No, 'pulga' specifically refers to fleas. For general bugs, you would use 'bicho' or 'insecto'.

How do I say 'flea bite'?

You say 'picadura de pulga'. Note that the word 'picadura' is used for insect stings or bites.

Can 'pulga' be used as a nickname?

Yes! It is often used as a playful nickname for someone very short or for a small child, similar to 'shortstack' or 'tiny' in English.