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How to Say "chicken" in Spanish

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pollo

POH-yoh (The 'll' sounds like 'y' in most of Latin America and Spain)/ˈpoʝo/

nounA1general
Use 'pollo' when referring to chicken as food or meat, whether whole or in parts.
A golden-brown roasted whole chicken resting on a white platter, prepared as a meal.

Examples

Vamos a comprar un pollo entero para la cena.

We are going to buy a whole chicken for dinner.

¿Prefieres el pollo frito o al horno?

Do you prefer fried or baked chicken?

El menú del día incluye pollo con patatas.

The daily menu includes chicken with potatoes.

Gender Tip

Since 'pollo' ends in -o, it is masculine, meaning you use 'el pollo' or 'un pollo'.

gallina

/gah-YEE-nah//ɡaˈʎina/

nounA1general
Use 'gallina' primarily for the live animal, especially a hen, but also as an informal insult meaning 'coward'.
A fluffy brown hen standing in a sunny field of green grass.

Examples

La gallina puso tres huevos esta mañana.

The hen laid three eggs this morning.

El granjero tiene más de cien gallinas en su corral.

The farmer has more than a hundred chickens in his coop.

¡No seas gallina! Tienes que decirle la verdad.

Don't be a coward! You have to tell her the truth.

Él es una gallina; nunca se atreve a probar nada nuevo.

He is a chicken; he never dares to try anything new.

Gender Check

Remember that 'gallina' is always feminine, referring to the female bird. The male bird is 'gallo' (rooster).

Fixed Gender Insult

When used to mean 'coward,' 'gallina' is always feminine, even if you are talking about a man. You say 'Él es una gallina,' not 'un gallino'.

Gallina vs. Pollo

Mistake: “Using 'gallina' to mean chicken meat.”

Correction: Use 'pollo' (chicken) when referring to the meat you eat, or a young chicken. 'Gallina' is usually the live, mature female bird.

gallina

nounB1informal
Use 'gallina' as a B1-level informal insult to call someone a coward.

Examples

¡No seas gallina! Tienes que decirle la verdad.

Don't be a coward! You have to tell her the truth.

cobarde

koh-BAR-deh/koˈβarðe/

nounA2informal
Use 'cobarde' as an informal insult, specifically meaning 'coward', without reference to the animal.
A simple cartoon character with wide, fearful eyes running away rapidly, looking over their shoulder in panic, despite the path ahead being clear and sunny.

Examples

No seas un cobarde y enfrenta tus miedos de una vez.

Don't be a coward and face your fears right away.

Todos la llamaron cobarde cuando se negó a saltar.

Everyone called her a coward when she refused to jump.

Matching the person

When 'cobarde' refers to a person (the noun), you must match the article to the person's gender: 'el cobarde' (male) or 'la cobarde' (female).

Mixing the article

Mistake: “Ella es un cobarde.”

Correction: Ella es una cobarde.

Distinguishing Animal vs. Insult

The most common mistake is using 'pollo' or 'gallina' as an insult when you mean 'coward'. Remember that 'gallina' and 'cobarde' are the words for coward. 'Pollo' is strictly for the meat.

Related Translations

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