How to Say "fetus" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “fetus” is “feto” — use 'feto' when referring to the developing offspring in the womb from approximately the ninth week of pregnancy until birth..
feto
/FEH-toh//ˈfeto/
Examples
El feto se mueve mucho hoy.
The fetus is moving a lot today.
El médico examinó al feto con una ecografía.
The doctor examined the fetus with an ultrasound.
Durante esta etapa, el feto desarrolla sus órganos.
During this stage, the fetus develops its organs.
Always Masculine
Even if the baby is a girl, the biological term 'feto' is always a masculine word.
Confusing Feto and Embrión
Mistake: “Using 'feto' for the very first weeks of pregnancy.”
Correction: In Spanish, like English, it is an 'embrión' (embryo) until about the 8th week, then it becomes a 'feto'.
embrión
/em-bree-OHN//emˈbɾjon/
Examples
El científico observó el embrión bajo el microscopio.
The scientist observed the embryo under the microscope.
El embrión se desarrolla rápidamente en las primeras semanas.
The embryo develops quickly in the first weeks.
Muchos animales nacen de un embrión dentro de un huevo.
Many animals are born from an embryo inside an egg.
The 'ón' rule for gender
Most Spanish words ending in '-ón' are masculine (like 'el camión' or 'el corazón'). 'Embrión' follows this rule.
The accent mark matters
This word has an accent mark on the 'o' because it is stressed on the last syllable and ends in 'n'. When you make it plural ('embriones'), the accent mark disappears.
Keeping the accent in plural
Mistake: “los embriónes”
Correction: los embriones (the accent is removed when the word becomes longer and the stress naturally stays on the same syllable).
Feto vs. Embrión
Related Translations
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