How to Say "whiskers" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “whiskers” is “bigote” — use 'bigote' (plural 'bigotes') to refer specifically to the long, stiff hairs growing on the face of animals like cats, dogs, or mice..
bigote
bee-GOH-teh/biˈɣo.te/
Examples
El gato movía sus bigotes para sentir el aire.
The cat moved its whiskers to feel the air.
Los bigotes de los ratones son muy sensibles.
Mice's whiskers are very sensitive.
Use in Plural
When referring to animal whiskers, you will almost always use the plural form: 'los bigotes'.
barba
BAR-bah/ˈbaɾβa/
Examples
Mi tío se dejó crecer la barba durante las vacaciones.
My uncle let his beard grow during the holidays.
Llevaba una barba larga y canosa, como un sabio.
He wore a long, gray beard, like a wise man.
El gato tiene unas barbas muy sensibles que le ayudan a orientarse.
The cat has very sensitive whiskers that help it orient itself.
Gender Check
Even though 'barba' ends in '-a' (which usually means feminine), remember that Spanish nouns referring to body parts are almost always used with definite articles (la barba, el brazo) instead of possessives (mi barba) when the owner is clear from the sentence.
Beard vs. Mustache
Mistake: “Using 'barba' when you only mean the hair above the lip.”
Correction: Use 'bigote' (mustache) for hair only above the lip, and 'barba' for hair on the chin and cheeks.
Confusing 'Bigote' and 'Barba'
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