elefante

elephant

noun eh-leh-FAHN-teh Rare

Origin: Greek elephas via Latin elephantus

Usage Note

Elefante is masculine: el elefante. The feminine la elefanta exists but is much rarer; speakers often say la elefante hembra (the female elephant) in practice. The African elephant is elefante africano and the Asian elephant elefante asiático. In colloquial use ser un elefante en una cacharrería (to be an elephant in a china shop) is the Spanish equivalent of a bull in a china shop.

Examples

"El elefante levantó la trompa."

Natural Translation

The elephant raised its trunk.

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