pinito

first step

noun pee-NEE-toh Rare

Also means

baby step

Usage Note

Pinito is a diminutive of pino used almost exclusively in the plural pinitos to describe the very first wobbly steps of a toddler or, figuratively, the hesitant early attempts at a new skill. The fixed phrase hacer los primeros pinitos (to take one's first steps, to dabble) is the most common use. The singular pinito is rare outside this idiom. It belongs to an informal, affectionate register.

Examples

"El bebé ya hace sus primeros pinitos."

Natural Translation

The baby is already taking their first steps.

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