Advertisement

Spanish word of the day: 'Bellota'

The Local Spain
The Local Spain - [email protected]
Spanish word of the day: 'Bellota'

It won't belong before you hear this word in Spain, especially if you enjoy jamon.

Advertisement

What does the Spanish word bellota mean? You'll probably have seen it plenty of times when looking at Spanish ham but really it's an autumnal word and means acorn. 

  • La ardilla cogió la bellota y se fue corriendo.

        The squirrel grabbed the acorn and ran away.

You will see de bellota mentioned in high-quality ham, as some Iberian pigs are fed only with acorns and this supposedly gives them a specific flavour:

  • Por Navidad me regalaron en la empresa un jamón de bellota.

        I received an acorn-fed Iberian ham from my company for Christmas.

You can also use 'animal de bellota' when talking in a pejorative way about somebody.  It means to be a pig.

  • ¡Deja de comportarte como un animal de bellota y llama a tu novia!

        Stop acting like a pig and call your girlfriend!

Pronunciation:

beh-yoh-tah

Check out our other word of the day posts

This word of the day has been contributed by LAE Madrid, the leading Spanish academy in Madrid. Accredited by the Insitituto Cervantes, it offers Spanish courses for all levels and also has Spanish classes for kids and families.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also