Inklingo
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vaca

cow?farm animal
Also:beef?meat from a cow (less common than 'carne de res')

BAH-kah

/ˈbaka/
NounfA1
neutralGeneral
A friendly, cartoon-style black and white spotted cow standing in a grassy meadow under a bright blue sky.

Vaca, meaning 'cow', is a common farm animal.

vaca(Noun)

fA1

cow

?

farm animal

Also:

beef

?

meat from a cow (less common than 'carne de res')

📝 In Action

La vaca da leche fresca todas las mañanas.

A1

The cow gives fresh milk every morning.

En la granja vimos un toro y muchas vacas pastando.

A2

On the farm, we saw a bull and many cows grazing.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • leche de vaca – cow's milk
  • carne de vaca – beef (cow meat)

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Rule

Since 'vaca' refers to a female animal, it is a feminine noun and always uses the article 'la' or 'una'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Male Counterpart

Remember that the male counterpart (bull) is called 'toro'.

Multiple hands, representing different people, dropping shiny gold coins into a large, half-full glass jar, symbolizing a shared money collection.

Vaca can also mean a 'collection' of money gathered for a communal goal.

vaca(Noun)

fB2

collection

?

money gathered for a shared purpose

,

kitty

?

shared fund

Also:

pot

?

money for a game or event

📝 In Action

Vamos a hacer una vaca para comprarle un regalo a Carlos.

B2

We are going to start a collection (a kitty) to buy Carlos a gift.

Si todos ponemos diez euros, completamos la vaca para la cena.

C1

If we all put in ten euros, we complete the pot for dinner.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • bote (pot/collection)
  • colecta (collection/fundraiser)

Common Collocations

  • hacer una vaca – to start a collection/kitty
  • poner en la vaca – to put money into the pot

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'Hacer'

The most common way to use this meaning is with the verb 'hacer' (to do/make): 'hacer una vaca' means 'to organize a collection'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Context is Key

This meaning is only used when talking about shared money for informal expenses (like food, gifts, or travel). Never use it for formal banking or taxes.

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: vaca

Question 1 of 2

Which of these sentences uses 'vaca' in its informal meaning?

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🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

Practice the pronunciation of this word with these Spanish tongue twisters.

📚 More Resources

Word Family

toro(bull) - Noun
ternero(calf) - Noun
vacuno(bovine / relating to cows) - Adjective
vaquero(cowboy) - Noun

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I refer to the meat we eat?

While you can say 'carne de vaca,' it is much more common and neutral to say 'carne de res' (literally 'meat of cattle') when ordering or talking about beef.

If 'vaca' is a female cow, what is the word for a male cow?

The male cow (bull) is called 'toro'. If you are talking about cattle generally without specifying gender, you might use 'ganado' (livestock).