Spanish word

tiburón

Pronunciation

IPA/tiβuˈɾon/

Meaning

  • masculine nounshark

Example

En el acuario había varios tiburones nadando juntos.

In the aquarium there were several sharks swimming together.

Illustration for tiburón (shark)

More examples

Vi un tiburón desde la playa ayer.

I saw a shark from the beach yesterday.

Core concept

Cartilaginous marine fish that preys on other fish.

Common phrases

  • ver un tiburón

    see a shark

  • tener miedo a los tiburones

    be afraid of sharks

  • nadar con tiburones

    swim with sharks

Similar words

pez: Finned aquatic animal that breathes through gills.
animal marino: Animal that lives in the sea or along coasts.
depredador: Animal that hunts and eats other animals.
escualo: Scientific name used for sharks.

Definition in Spanish

Animal marino, un pez cuyo esqueleto es de cartílago y que suele cazar otros peces con dientes afilados.

Word origin

Tiburón entered Spanish via Portuguese tubarão and ultimately from Vulgar Latin *tiburōnem, a historical name for large sea fish.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine (el tiburón), and species names place the descriptor after the noun (tiburón blanco), so Spanish word order differs from English 'great white shark'.

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