Spanish Conversation · Level 17
89 words
Spanish word
ternero
Pronunciation
IPA/teɾˈneɾo/
Meaning
- masculine nouncalf
Example
El ternero sigue a su madre.
The calf follows its mother.
More examples
El granjero vendió un ternero al vecino.
The farmer sold a calf to the neighbor.
Core concept
Young bovine still nursing and usually kept beside its mother.
Common phrases
tener un ternero
have a calf
cuidar al ternero
care for the calf
Similar words
becerro: Young male calf, recently born or juvenile and commonly still nursing near its mother.
ternera: Young female calf, recently born or juvenile and typically kept beside its mother.
Definition in Spanish
Animal bovino joven que todavía se alimenta de leche materna y suele permanecer junto a su madre.
Word origin
Derived from the adjective tierno ('tender') with the suffix -ero, tracing tierno to Latin tener 'soft, tender', and thus forming a noun that highlights the animal's youth.
Usage tips
- Ternero refers to the animal itself, while ternera commonly denotes veal on menus and also serves as the feminine form for a female calf.
Opposites
- adultoadultnoun
Related words
- ternerafemale calfnoun