Spanish word

ballena

Pronunciation

IPA/baˈʝena/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwhale

Example

¡Mira esa ballena!

Look at that whale!

Illustration for ballena (whale)

More examples

Salimos a ver ballenas y vimos una cerca de la orilla.

We went out to see whales and saw one near the shore.

Core concept

Very large air-breathing marine mammal that swims.

Common phrases

  • salir a ver ballenas

    go out to see whales

  • sacar fotos de ballenas

    take photos of whales

  • la ballena azul

    the blue whale

Similar words

cetáceo: Group of water-adapted mammals that share streamlined bodies and surface to breathe.
mamífero marino: Mammal that lives in the sea and is adapted to swim and return to the surface for air.
orca: Large black-and-white toothed marine mammal that hunts cooperatively and swims powerfully.
delfín: Small to medium-sized agile marine mammal with a streamlined body, fast swimming and frequent leaps.

Definition in Spanish

Cetáceo de gran tamaño, mamífero marino que respira por pulmones y se desplaza nadando.

Word origin

The Spanish word comes from Ancient Greek phálaina via Medieval Latin balaena, a form also found in Italian balena.

Usage tips

  • The noun is feminine, so the article and adjectives agree as la ballena and las ballenas, and in many dialects ll sounds like English y so the spoken form often resembles 'ba-yena'.

Related words

  • ballenatowhale calfnoun

Word lists with this word