How do you say body in Spanish?

Body is cuerpo (KWER-poh), a masculine noun. It is used for the physical body, the body of a text, and figurative expressions. The adjective form is corporal.

How do you say body parts in Spanish?

Common body parts include: cabeza (head), brazo (arm), pierna (leg), mano (hand — feminine despite ending in -o), pie (foot), corazón (heart), and estómago (stomach). Spanish uses the definite article (el, la) with body parts instead of possessives: Me lavo las manos (I wash my hands), not Yo lavo mis manos.

What is the difference between cuerpo and cadáver?

Cuerpo is the general word for body (living or dead). Cadáver specifically means corpse or dead body and is the standard term in medical, legal, and forensic contexts. In everyday speech and news, cuerpo is often used for both.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Body in Spanish: Cuerpo and Related Terms

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Cuerpo · noun (masculine) · KWER-poh

Body in Spanish is cuerpo (KWER-poh), a masculine noun that covers the physical human body, the body of a document, and figurative uses like cuerpo diplomático (diplomatic corps). For a dead body, Spanish uses cadáver in formal contexts and cuerpo informally. Organismo refers to the body as a living system.

KWER-poh — two syllables with stress on KWER. The ue is a diphthong pronounced like the we in wet. The final o is a clean, open vowel.

El ejercicio es bueno para el cuerpo y la mente.

Exercise is good for the body and mind.

Body in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for body, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
cuerpo	body	KWER-poh	Default, widely understood
cadáver	body		dead body / corpse (formal)
organismo	body		body as a biological system

How Native Speakers Use Cuerpo

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Physical body

Me duele todo el cuerpo después del entrenamiento.

My whole body hurts after the workout.

Spanish uses the indirect object construction (me duele) rather than my body hurts — the body does the hurting to me.

Body of a text

Incluye la información más importante en el cuerpo del correo.

Include the most important information in the body of the email.

Cuerpo extends to the main section of a text, letter, or document, just as body does in English.

Body language

Tu lenguaje corporal dice más que tus palabras.

Your body language says more than your words.

The adjective form is corporal — lenguaje corporal (body language), castigo corporal (corporal punishment).

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cuerpo

Using cuerpo as feminine

Incorrect: La cuerpo humana es fascinante.

Correct: El cuerpo humano es fascinante.

Cuerpo is masculine despite not ending in a typical -o pattern that some learners might second-guess. It takes el, not la, and adjectives must match: humano, not humana.

Saying cuerpo for corpse in formal writing

Incorrect: La policía encontró un cuerpo en el río. (in a forensic report)

Correct: La policía encontró un cadáver en el río.

While cuerpo can informally mean a dead body (and is common in news), cadáver is the precise, formal term used in legal and medical contexts.

Lock in Body Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Cuerpo used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cuerpo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El ejercicio es bueno para el cuerpo y la mente. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Body in Spanish

How do you say body in Spanish?: Body is cuerpo (KWER-poh), a masculine noun. It is used for the physical body, the body of a text, and figurative expressions. The adjective form is corporal.
How do you say body parts in Spanish?: Common body parts include: cabeza (head), brazo (arm), pierna (leg), mano (hand — feminine despite ending in -o), pie (foot), corazón (heart), and estómago (stomach). Spanish uses the definite article (el, la) with body parts instead of possessives: Me lavo las manos (I wash my hands), not Yo lavo mis manos.
What is the difference between cuerpo and cadáver?: Cuerpo is the general word for body (living or dead). Cadáver specifically means corpse or dead body and is the standard term in medical, legal, and forensic contexts. In everyday speech and news, cuerpo is often used for both.