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seso

SEH-soh/ˈseso/

“seso” means “brain” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

brain

Also: brains
NounmB1
A colorful illustration of a human brain shown from the side.

📝 In Action

El doctor analizó el seso del animal.

B1

The doctor analyzed the animal's brain.

En ese restaurante sirven sesos a la plancha.

B2

In that restaurant, they serve grilled brains.

Se dio un golpe fuerte en el seso.

B1

He took a hard hit to the brain.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cerebro (brain (the organ))
  • materia gris (grey matter)

Common Collocations

  • sesos de cordero – lamb brains
  • tapa de sesos – brain appetizer

Idioms & Expressions

  • levantarle a alguien los sesos – to blow someone's brains out

judgment, brains

Also: common sense
NounmB2
A wise owl wearing a small graduation cap sitting on a branch.

📝 In Action

Hazlo con seso y no te precipites.

B2

Do it with judgment and don't rush.

Me estoy devanando los sesos para resolver esto.

C1

I am racking my brains to solve this.

Es un hombre de mucho seso.

B2

He is a man of great judgment.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • insensatez (foolishness)
  • locura (madness)

Common Collocations

  • tener seso – to have sense
  • poner seso – to apply thought/sense

Idioms & Expressions

  • devanarse los sesos – to think very hard about something difficult
  • sorber el seso – to brainwash or dazzle someone completely
  • perder el seso – to go crazy or lose one's mind (usually over someone)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "seso" in Spanish:

brain→brains→common sense→judgment→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: seso

Question 1 of 3

Which idiom means you are thinking incredibly hard about a problem?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
sesudo(wise/prudent) — Adjective
sesudamente(judiciously) — Adverb
asensato(sensible) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'sensus', which means 'sense', 'feeling', or 'understanding'. It shares a root with the English word 'sense'.

First recorded: 10th Century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: sennoFrench: sens

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'seso' used for 'brains' in a zombie movie?

Yes! Zombies are usually looking for 'sesos' (plural) because they want to eat the brain matter.

Can I use 'seso' to mean 'meaning' like the French 'sens'?

No. In Spanish, the 'meaning' of a word is 'sentido' or 'significado', not 'seso'.

Is it rude to use 'seso'?

Not at all. It's a standard word, though in idioms like 'devanarse los sesos' it's slightly more informal than saying 'pensar profundamente'.