How to Say "puppy" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “puppy” is “cachorro” — use 'cachorro' for any young dog, regardless of size or breed. It's the most direct and general translation for 'puppy'..
cachorro
/ka-CHOH-rroh//kaˈtʃoro/
Examples
Mi perro todavía es un cachorro.
My dog is still a puppy.
Vimos a un cachorro de león en el zoológico.
We saw a lion cub at the zoo.
La perra cuida a sus cinco cachorros.
The dog is taking care of her five puppies.
Gender of Baby Animals
Use 'cachorro' for a male or unknown gender baby animal, and 'cachorra' for a female one.
Don't use for humans
Mistake: “Calling a human baby 'un cachorro'.”
Correction: Use 'bebé' for humans. 'Cachorro' is strictly for animals unless you are being very poetic or metaphorical.
perrito
peh-RREE-toh/peˈrito/
Examples
Mi perrito duerme en mi cama.
My little dog sleeps on my bed.
¿Viste qué lindo es ese perrito salchicha?
Did you see how cute that little dachshund is?
Necesitas pasear al perrito tres veces al día.
You need to walk the doggy three times a day.
The Affectionate '-ito'
The '-ito' ending is a diminutive suffix. It makes the word smaller, but also adds feelings of affection, tenderness, or cuteness. It's used constantly in Spanish!
Using the wrong gender
Mistake: “La perrito (Incorrect)”
Correction: El perrito (Correct). Even though the root word 'perro' can be 'perra' (female dog), the diminutive 'perrito' keeps the masculine article 'el' when referring to the word itself, regardless of the dog's gender.
General vs. Affectionate
Related Translations
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