Inklingo

How to Say "birdie" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “birdie” is “pajarito” — use 'pajarito' when referring to a small bird, often in an affectionate or childlike context..

English → Spanish

pajarito

/pa-ha-REE-toh//paxaˈɾito/

nounA1Informal, Affectionate
Use 'pajarito' when referring to a small bird, often in an affectionate or childlike context.
A small, colorful blue and yellow bird perched on a single green branch.

Examples

Mira ese pajarito cantando en la rama.

Look at that little bird singing on the branch.

Mira el pajarito que está en el árbol.

Look at the little bird in the tree.

El pajarito está cantando en la ventana.

The birdie is singing at the window.

The '-ito' Ending

The ending '-ito' is added to 'pájaro' (bird) to show that something is small or to show affection. It's like adding 'little' or 'y' in English (like 'dog' to 'doggy').

Gender Agreement

Mistake: “la pajarito”

Correction: el pajarito

volante

/boh-LAHN-teh//boˈlante/

nounB2Informal, Sports
Use 'volante' specifically for the shuttlecock used in badminton.
A white shuttlecock with a cork base and a crown of white feathers, depicted mid-flight.

Examples

Se nos acabó el volante y no podemos seguir jugando.

We ran out of shuttlecocks and can't continue playing.

El juego de bádminton comienza con el saque del volante.

The badminton game starts with the serve of the shuttlecock.

Perdimos el volante en el tejado.

We lost the birdie on the roof.

Sport Specificity

Mistake: “Using 'pelota' for the object in badminton.”

Correction: The correct term is 'volante' (or 'plumilla' in some regions), not 'pelota' (ball), because it flies differently.

Confusing Birds with Badminton

The most common mistake is using 'pajarito' when you mean the object used in badminton. Remember, 'pajarito' is always about a small animal, while 'volante' refers to sports equipment.

Related Translations

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