Inklingo

How to Say "ewe" in Spanish

English → Spanish

oveja

/oh-BEH-hah//oˈβexa/

nounA1general
Use 'oveja' when you specifically want to refer to a female sheep, as it is the most common and direct translation for 'ewe'.
A fluffy white sheep standing in a green grassy field.

Examples

La oveja está comiendo hierba.

The ewe is eating grass.

Hay una oveja blanca en el campo.

There is a white sheep in the field.

La oveja nos da lana para hacer suéteres.

The sheep gives us wool to make sweaters.

El pastor cuida a su rebaño de ovejas.

The shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep.

Always Feminine

In Spanish, the word 'oveja' is always feminine. Even if you are talking about a male sheep, you still use 'la oveja' unless you use the specific word for a ram, which is 'carnero'.

Gender confusion

Mistake:el oveja

Correction: la oveja (always use the feminine 'la' because the word ends in 'a').

hembra

EM-brah (like 'em' in 'ember' followed by 'brah')/ˈem.bɾa/

nounA2general
Use 'hembra' when referring to a female sheep as part of a broader discussion about animal genders, or when the context makes it clear you mean a sheep and not another female animal.
A majestic lioness standing calmly in a savanna setting.

Examples

Esta oveja es la hembra dominante del rebaño.

This sheep is the dominant female of the flock.

Esta leona es la hembra alfa de la manada.

This lioness is the alpha female of the pride.

Nació un cachorro macho y dos hembras.

One male puppy and two females were born.

Always Feminine

Even though it refers to animals, 'hembra' is always a feminine noun and takes feminine articles (la hembra, una hembra).

Oveja vs. Hembra

Learners often mistakenly use 'hembra' for 'ewe' when 'oveja' is the more precise and common term. Remember that 'hembra' is a general term for 'female animal' and should only be used for 'ewe' when the context is very clear or when contrasting genders within a group of sheep.

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