Inklingo

How to Say "marrow" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “marrow” is “médula” — use 'médula' when referring to the soft tissue inside bones, essential for blood cell production, or in a more general biological context.

English → Spanish

médula

nounB2biological, general
Use 'médula' when referring to the soft tissue inside bones, essential for blood cell production, or in a more general biological context.

Examples

La médula ósea es necesaria para producir células sanguíneas.

Bone marrow is necessary to produce blood cells.

sesos

SAY-sohsˈsesos

nounB1culinary, informal
Use 'sesos' specifically when referring to the edible brains of an animal, often prepared as food.
A simple drawing of a whole brain on a clean white plate.

Examples

En este restaurante sirven tacos de sesos.

In this restaurant, they serve brain tacos.

El accidente fue fuerte, pero no se dañó los sesos.

The accident was bad, but he didn't damage his brains.

Always Plural

This word is almost always used in its plural form (with an 's'), even when referring to one person or animal.

Sesos vs. Cerebro

Mistake: “Using 'sesos' in a biology or medical context.”

Correction: Use 'cerebro' for the biological organ and 'sesos' for the substance (especially food) or mental capacity.

Confusing Bone Marrow with Brains

The most common mistake is using 'sesos' when you mean bone marrow ('médula'). Remember that 'sesos' specifically refers to animal brains, often as food, while 'médula' is the biological term for the substance within bones.

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