How is a cute little four-legged domesticated animal similar to a dirty, rude person?
The answer is just the noun-adjective, unfortunately for the animal.
Stay with us and learn how to say pork in Spanish language!
Etymology of pork in Spanish
Cerdo/pork comes from the Indo-European root *porko-s– (pig), which gave rise to the English term pork. The Latin also adopted this word, turning it into porcus-, from which the Spanish word puerco comes from. This word means pigs, from which other terms such as piggery and pigsty arose.
Puerco/pig used to be used to refer to cattle but over time, something changed. It went from being a friendly four-legged animal to a derogatory term. From there, the word cerdo/pork emerged to replace it.
What is pork in Spanish language
In the Spanish language, cerdo/pork (singular) has cerdos/porks as plural. The pork in Spanish language is a beautiful, intelligent, and friendly animal with a plump body with pink or brownish skin and strong bristles. It has a large head, flat cylindrical snout, large floppy ears, short legs, and a small thin twisted tail.
This pachyderm mammal is raised on farms for domestic use. Like cows, chickens, and turkeys, it makes up part of non-vegans protein diet. This makes pork a noun to refer to the animal or the animal’s meat product.
In another sense, the colloquial sense, the word pork is used as an adjective. This is to refer to a mannerless, unmannerly, rude, mean, dirty person. Perhaps that’s why we can find many cartoons where politicians are represented by piggies with a nasty and scary appearance.
Knowing that this word can be extremely offensive, we can only use it appropriately. Now let’s see how to say pig in Spanish while not offending (the four-legged).
How to say pork in Spanish
There are different ways of saying it; some are acceptable while others are very offensive. The ideal is to master the expressions and adapt them to the place where you are to avoid discomfort. Let’s see now how to say pork in Spanish.
Cerdo/Pork
The cerdo/pork is a mammal that is very easy to raise on large and small farms for domestic consumption. They are characterized by a stocky body, short legs, and large drooping ears; short, thin, and twisted tails.
Their skin is brown or pink, thick fur, large head, and flat semi-cylindrical snout. In Mexico, it’s a frequently used word for this animal. A person with bad intentions is also called a cerdo (pork) in Spanish-speaking countries.
Consumir carne de cerdo no eleva los valores del ácido úrico.
Eating pork does not raise uric acid values.
En los pueblos rurales las personas crían cerdos para su propio consumo.
In rural villages, people raise porks for their consumption.
Tenía un jefe que era un cerdo y jamás me pagó el finiquito laboral.
I had a boss who was pork and never paid the termination of my employment.
Chancho/Hog
In countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru, the pork is called chancho/hog. Note that in Chile bicycles are called chanchas, while in Argentina they call a card game chancho. Two very distant meanings from each other.
It is no secret that this word is also used as an adjective to refer to a person with gluttonous, dirty, and rude habits.
En navidad cenaremos chancho horneado.
We will have baked hog for dinner at Christmas.
Tenía por mascota un chancho de orejas rosadas.
He had a pink-eared hog as a pet.
Aquél dictador había sido el peor chancho en la historia política de la nación.
That dictator had been the worst hog in the nation’s political history.
Cochino-puerco/Pig
In Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela, the pig is known as cochino-puerco/pig. It´s normally used as a noun to refer to the animal.
However, in all Spanish-speaking countries, cochino-puerco/pig is a very frequently used word. Especially as an adjective for a very dirty and slovenly person.
Uno de los platos típicos de varios países sudamericanos es cochino frito en diferentes presentaciones.
One of the typical dishes of several South American countries is fried pig in different presentations.
Mi régimen dietético me permite comer cochino 3 veces por semana.
My dietary regimen allows me to eat pig 3 times a week.
Los políticos corruptos son como puercos revolcándose en el fango.
Corrupt politicians are like pigs wallowing in the mud.
Other words and expressions for pork in Spanish language
A moment ago, we mentioned only three of the most used ones. Let’s see in this section other words and expressions for pork in the Spanish language.
Spanish words for pork
- Marrano/pig: This is the porcine livestock with a delicious and intense flavor. In Colombia and El Salvador, they call marranos/pigs to dirty, unwashed, and indecent people.
Los marranos se escaparon del corral y trancaron las vías.
The pigs escaped from the corral and blocked the tracks.
Los viernes por la noche el bar está abarrotado de marranos.
On Friday nights, the bar is crowded with pigs.
- Guarro/pig: In Spain, it means the animal and a very dirty, obscene, lewd, and immoral person. While in Mexico, is a tasteless and ungraceful person.
Los guarros están durmiendo en el corral.
The pigs are sleeping in the corral.
Los rockeros siempre han sido vistos como guarros por la “gente bien”.
The “good people” have always seen rockers as pigs.
Expressions for pork in Spanish
Here are some expressions for pork in Spanish that you should master.
Carne porcina
Pork
Carne de cerdo
Pork meat
Lomo de cerdo
Pork loin
Panza de cerdo
Pork belly
Paleta de cerdo
Pork Shoulder
Carne de cerdo y frijoles
Pork and beans
Cerdo asado
Roast pork
Chicharrón
Pork rind
Chuleta de cerdo
Pork chop
Longaniza
Pork sausage
What we piggies keep quiet about
Yes, their meat is delicious and they are domesticated animals raised for human consumption. But underneath some layers of bacon, there is a very noble, intelligent, and beautiful being. What we piglets keep quiet about is people’s lack of understanding.
For as long as the world has existed, humans have believed that they are superior. In addition, people with bad hearts and carelessness have been nicknamed pigs. Which has nothing to do with these defenseless animals.
That is why we invite you to reflect on the human being’s superiority over pigs. And don’t wait until pigs fly to master the Spanish language!
Letras/Lyrics
Ese mamarrano come cacahuates
pide pizarrín, pero no invita a sus cuates,
en la escuela le apodaban el come quesadillas
se come los melones sin quitarle las semillas.
Ese marranete se atora en el retrete
y cada que lo veo es una foto diferente,
se mira en el espejo se pone consternado
se quita la playera es un tamal mal amarrado.
Cerdo, no me llames cerdo (mueve tu cuerpo)
Le piachen las pastas se mete tallarines
debajo de su almohada encontrarás los tín larines,
pasea por los pasillos de los supermercados
comiendo bocadillos que le ofrecen los empleados,
antes de viajar por cada cachete
el chofer del autobús se lo cobra como flete,
les quita el migajón a todos los bolillos
para después guardarlo y comerlo de sus bolsillos.
Cerdo, no me llames cerdo (mueve tu cuerpo).
En una ocasión tuvo un encuentro con el loco
porque mientras él pasaba le gritó cintura bachoco,
a causa de las memelas y de los ricos pambazos,
este cerdo bofarrón tiene dos potentes brazos
al loco se lo echó con todos sus huesitos
por la fuerza que le dan millón y medio de gansitos
sin embargo, era feliz, feliz y muy tranquilo
porque se seguía comiendo bocadillos de medio kilo.
Le gustan submarinos, le gustan choco roles,
les hace agujeritos para meterle los frijoles
Mc Tríos de Big Mac, Mc Tríos de Mc Tocino,
Le llevan a su casa dotación de ricolino.