Spanish Conversation · Level 7
87 words
Spanish word
liebre
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈljeβɾe/
Meaning
- feminine nounhare
Example
La liebre saltó entre las flores.
The hare jumped among the flowers.
More examples
Corrió como una liebre cuando oyó un ruido.
He ran like a hare when he heard a noise.
Core concept
Large rabbit-like wild mammal with long ears and powerful hind legs.
Common phrases
rápido como una liebre
fast as a hare
huir como una liebre
flee like a hare
Similar words
conejo: Typically tame rabbit kept by people, smaller-bodied and often bred for pets or food.
gazapo: Juvenile rabbit, noticeably small and vulnerable, often found in or near nests.
Definition in Spanish
Mamífero silvestre similar al conejo pero no domesticado, con patas traseras potentes que le permiten huir a gran velocidad.
Word origin
Derived from Latin lepus, liebre came into Spanish via regular phonetic changes and specifically names the wild hare rather than a domestic rabbit.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech conejo is used for tame rabbits while liebre signals a wild animal, so phrases like 'una liebre en el campo' naturally convey the difference.