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LEARNING SPANISH

Turnips and rabbits: The many Spanish nicknames for genitalia

Every language has funny synonyms to refer to the penis and the vagina, and Spanish is no different. From seafood to everyday objects, here are the colloquial and sometimes vulgar synonyms Spaniards use to refer to male and female genitalia.

Published: 6 March 2023 15:47 CET
synonyms genitalia spanish
A "turnip" is one of the comically vulgar ways Spaniards refer to male genitalia. Photo: Marisa Morton/Unsplash

The Spanish press recently had a field day with the news that British Food and Rural Affairs Minister Thérèse Coffey had invited Brits to “eat turnips” to counteract current food and veg shortages in the country. 

That’s because the Spanish word for turnip – nabo – is also a nickname for “penis”, which has led to plenty of double-entendre headlines and satirical sketches about Brits eating turnips/penises. 

This got us thinking about all the other colourful language Spaniards use to refer to male and female genitalia.

As could be expected, when it comes to nicknames for the penis, there’s an abundance of somewhat phallic-shaped objects that in Spanish have come to also mean what English speakers would call ‘dick’ or ‘cock’. 

When it comes to referring to the female anatomy on the other hand, food and in particular seafood, seems to steal the show.  

As you may know, swearing and vulgar terminology is more socially accepted in Spain than in other countries, but we’ve included a “risqué rate” at the end of each so you’re aware of how vulgar each term is.

You can of course just refer to the penis as pene and vagina as vagina (va-hee-na) as these are the correct terms, but we hope this language list will help you with your Spanish comprehension as these colloquial terms do come up in conversation more than you’d imagine.

Colloquial names for the penis (El pene) in Spanish

(La) Polla: Young female chick. Polla is the most common vulgar way Spaniards have of referring to a penis, and foreigners should also be careful not to confuse pollo (chicken) with polla (dick). Risqué rate: 9/10

(El) Nardo: Nard or tuberose plant. No discernable resemblance to a penis. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Paquete: A package or packet, usually used when referring to the penis whilst covered behind underwear and trousers. Risqué rate: 6/10

(La) Cuca: A nickname for the old Spanish peseta, but nowadays nobody remembers that. Cuca is generally a way that boys refer to their pee-pee and isn’t as offensive as other nicknames on this list such as polla. Bizarrely, it’s also the name of a famous brand of tinned seafood, and the shortened version of female names such as Carmen or Concepción. For example, the Popular Party’s spokesperson is called Cuca Gamarra. Risqué rate: 4/10

(El) Pito: A whistle. As in the kind that you blow, but which makes a loud sharp noise when you do. Also considered a slightly childish way of referring to male genitalia. Risqué rate: 4/10

(La) Tranca: Big stick but can also mean a bender, as in when someone goes on a drinking spree. As there’s the implication that it’s a larger member, it’s slightly more lewd. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Cimbel: Pigeon cord or decoy used to catch birds (the ones with wings). Not a very common way to refer to the penis in modern-day Spain. Risqué rate: 4/10

(El) Rabo: Tail. Rabo de toro (oxtail) is common in Spanish cuisine, but don’t be alarmed, it is indeed the animal’s tail and not his member that will be dished up. However, if you see criadillas on the menu, be aware that this is indeed bull’s testicles. Risqué rate: 6/10

(La) Cola: Another word for tail, but just like cuca, cola or colita might be used by young children or by their parents as it’s a harmless way of referring to the penis. Risqué rate: 3/10

(La) Verga: Yardarm of a ship, the spar on a mast from which sails are set. Unless you’re on a boat with sailors, if you use the word verga in Spain, people will automatically assume you’re talking about penis. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Nabo: As mentioned earlier, the Spanish word for turnip can be used to refer to a penis. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Sable: The sabre, for the man who believes his piece is a large, dangerous weapon. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Miembro: The member. A more anatomical and low-key way to refer to the penis in Spanish. Risqué rate: 3/10

(El) Cipote: An old way to refer to a short and stocky man, or a milestone rock. Risqué rate: 7/10

(La) Picha, (La) Minga and (La) Pinga: No other meaning other than ‘cock’ in modern-day Spanish. Risqué rate: 7/10

Colloquial names for the vagina (La vagina) in Spanish

(La) Almeja: The clam. Presumably because of the shape? We’d rather not go into more detail. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Mejillón: The mussel, and yet another shell mollusc that can also mean ‘vagina’ in colloquial Spanish. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Conejo: The rabbit. English speakers refer to baby cats when referencing vaginas in a comically vulgar way, Spaniards associate them with bunnies. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Higo: The fig. The food associations continue. Risqué rate: 7/10

(La) Breva: Cigar, chewing tobacco or again fig. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Chocho: Lupin legume, a common tapa served with beers in Spain. A viejo chocho is also a way to refer to an old man, and chochear can mean to dodder or be very affectionate. Chocho is a very common colloquial way to refer to the vagina in Spanish. You wouldn’t exactly use it at the doctor, but children can get away with using it at school or in front of their parents. Risqué rate: 5/10

(El) Chichi: It sounds a lot like chocho so it may be another take on it as Spain’s Royal Academy has no other meanings for it other than a colloquial way of referring to the vagina. Risqué rate: 5/10

(El) Chumino: A slightly coarse way of referring to women’s genitalia, a bit like saying ‘twat’ in English. Risqué rate: 7/10

(La) Raja: The slit. It sounds crass and it is, it’s a bit like saying ‘gash’ in English. Parents may use la rajita, the diminutive form, with their young daughters to make it a bit more acceptable. Risqué rate: 7/10

(El) Coño: Technically, it’s Spain’s C-word as it refers to female genitalia. Coño is in fact used differently in Spanish to the way it is in English, it’s not an insult directed at someone but rather can be uttered to express surprise or anger. However, if it is used to refer to female anatomy, it is the worst and most vulgar way to do it. Risqué rate: 10/10

READ ALSO: What’s the worst possible insult you can say to someone in Spanish?

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LEARNING SPANISH

Do people in Spain actually use the formal ‘usted’ form anymore?

It was once common in Spain, but nowadays the formal 'usted' (you) form is rarely used besides in some pretty specific situations. So why is the more informal 'tú' form becoming ever more dominant among Spaniards?

Published: 14 May 2024 11:12 CEST

If you live in Spain or spend time here, you’ve probably heard the word tú (you) a fair bit. It’s one of the very first words you learn when learning Spanish, and pretty crucial (obviously).

But you may have also occasionally heard Spanish speakers using the word usted (also meaning you) from time to time too.

It’s far more likely that you hear tú in Spain, but perhaps if you’ve heard a respectful younger Spaniard talking to an elderly neighbour, or their boss on the phone, or even watched something like a political debate or interview on TV, you probably heard usted used.

Similarly, if you have noticed usted being used while out and about in Spain, it could well have been from the large Latino population in Spain, and it’s likely that you heard Colombians, Venezuelans or other Latinos saying it.

READ ALSO: Why Spain has allowed regional languages to be spoken in Congress

Though they do sometimes use it, the use of usted among Spaniards is slightly different, much rarer, and saved for select circumstances.

In fact, it’s becoming so rare in Spain that some feel its usage is dying out completely, if it hasn’t already.

So, what’s going on here?

Usted vs tú

Firstly, let’s start with a definition. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE) usted is a:

“Form which, in the nominative, in the vocative or preceded by a preposition, designates the person addressed by the speaker or writer… [used] generally as a polite, respectful or distancing address.”

Eg) disculpe, ¿sabe usted dónde está el hospital? (excuse me, do you know where the hospital is?)

In understanding the usted form specifically in Castilian Spanish – Spanish spoken in parts of Latin America it can be slightly or very different, depending where you are – that last part of the definition is key: “generally as a polite, respectful or distancing address.”

It’s worth noting that with usted the verbs are conjugated as if they were third-person singular (el as in he or ella as in she), so it’s usted sabe instead of tú sabes. 

Usted is a form used to show respect or seniority: that you understand there’s a hierarchy (in which usted is at the top, so for example when speaking to your boss or someone interviewing you for a job), but also occasionally to mark social distance between two people (because tú could be considered overly friendly in certain situations) and then, finally, it’s also used more generally to show respect in terms of seniority, like when speaking to an elderly person.

Tú vs usted in Spain

Respectfulness is the key word here. In short, if you hear usted used in Spain, it’s probably for a reason.

In Spain, usted is generally only ever used with authority figures, the elderly and in some formal and/or professional settings, but many Spaniards will just skip over it and use the tú form. Tú can be used with everyone else: your friends, partners, neighbours (around your age or younger), siblings, co-workers, kids, and other people you don’t know but are roughly your age or younger.

In fact, in some cases people might actually be offended if you use the usted form because you could be implying that they’re old, a mistake or social faux pas that is somewhat similar to calling a woman señora and then being quickly corrected (usually with a scornful look) that is should be señorita.

In such cases, they may say trátame de tú (treat me as ‘less formal’ you) or me puedes tutear. 

The verb tutear actually means to speak to someone using the more informal tú form. 

The only part of Spain where the plural form of usted – ustedes – is used all the time is the Canary Islands and some parts of southern Andalusia, where locals prefer this form instead of the standard Castillian vosotros (you in plural). That doesn’t mean that they say usted instead of tú in the singular form, this exception only applies to the plural.

Do people actually use the formal usted form anymore in Spain?

Less and less. It’s dying out in Spain, has been for a while, and is now reserved for those rare occasions outlined above. It’s thought by linguistic experts that it began dying out in the 1970s and 1980s.

The use of usted in Castillian Spanish is now very rarely used in casual conversation. In many cases can only be heard in very formal or ceremonial settings, such as in judiciary, the army, or in certain academic culture contexts or events.

In day to day life, usted only really shows up (besides the examples given above) in advertising, something that generally needs to reflect cultural attitudes and keep up with modern day parlance, so now only really uses the usted form in some specific campaigns for financial services or medical products. As such, depending on the context and age of the people involved, you could also hear usted in spoken Spanish in banks and doctors or hospitals.

An article in Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia entitled ‘Usted is dying’ published back in 2012 looked into the disappearance of the formal form in detail. The fact it was published over a decade ago means that, if anything, the trends it discusses have deepened since then and usted is even lesser used than it was then.

“The use of usted has been reserved for very formal campaigns where a kind of protocol respect for the interlocutor is maintained,” Josep Maria Ferrara, founder and creative director of the Paulov advertising agency, told La Vanguardia.

But this was not the case twenty or thirty years ago. A study on the use of tú and usted in advertising at the end of the 1980s showed that the usted form was used for the most part and that only 11 percent of the advertisements analysed used the tú form.

Changing world, changing language?

So, what changed? Secundino Valladares, professor of Anthropology at the Madrid’s Complutense University, says that Spaniards have embraced tú to such an extent “that the phenomenon is now unstoppable; young people, educated in ‘tuteo’ [the use of the tú form] are sweeping to victory with the tú, and as society is dominated by the value of youth… many older people feel flattered if you tú them,” he said.

In Spain in the 1940s and 1950s the usted form was still well established in many parent-child relationships, and in teacher-student relationships until well into the 1970s. But a changing world and progressive, more egalitarian political ideas seems to be partly responsible for the change. Of course, in Spain, this linguistic shift may have something to do with the changing power and interpersonal dynamics of Spanish society as it transitioned from dictatorship to democracy around this time.

Headline by Spanish radio station Cope reads “Speaking to the teacher at school with the usted form must be brought back”.

Sociologist Antonio López pointed to this trend: “The tendency towards a more egalitarian society, towards the loss of hierarchical distances in social relations, means that it does not seem right to establish prior distances and that is why tú is used instead of usted, which for many denotes distance.”

In that sense, the decline in the formal usted form can be understood both in terms of the laid back nature of Castilian Spanish compared with countries in Latin America, but also in terms of language reflecting social change, similarly to how today, in modern day Spain, there is debate over the use of inclusive language and the dominance of the masculine form in Spanish grammar.

READ ALSO: What is Spain’s inclusive language debate and why is it so controversial?

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