Spanish word

jirafa

Pronunciation

IPA/xiˈɾafa/

Meaning

  • feminine noungiraffe

Example

¿Has visto una jirafa alguna vez?

Have you ever seen a giraffe?

Illustration for jirafa (giraffe)

More examples

Tomé una foto de una jirafa en la reserva.

I took a photo of a giraffe in the reserve.

Core concept

Large herbivore of the African plains distinguished by an exceptionally long neck and patterned skin.

Common phrases

  • foto de jirafa

    photo of a giraffe

  • ver una jirafa

    see a giraffe

Similar words

elefante: Enormous land herbivore with a long trunk and a very heavy, sturdy build.
rinoceronte: Stout herbivore with thick protective skin and one or more prominent nasal horns.
hipopótamo: Very large herbivore that lives partly in water, often found in rivers and lakes.
cebra: Striped, horse-like herbivore with distinctive black-and-white banding.

Definition in Spanish

Mamífero de gran altura con cuello muy largo y manchas en la piel, que vive en las sabanas africanas y se alimenta de hojas.

Word origin

Borrowed into Spanish from Italian giraffa, itself from Arabic zarāfa, with the word's deeper origin in various African languages.

Usage tips

  • The initial j is the Spanish guttural sound (not the English 'j') and the stress usually falls on the second syllable ji-RA-fa.

Word lists with this word