Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Chest in Spanish: Pecho or Cofre
Pecho · noun (masculine) · PEH-choh
Chest in Spanish is pecho for the body part (the front of the torso) and cofre or baúl for a storage container.
Pecho is PEH-choh, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Siento un dolor fuerte en el pecho.
I feel a strong pain in my chest.
Chest in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for chest, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| pecho | chest | PEH-choh | Default, widely understood |
| cofre | chest | treasure/storage chest | |
| baúl | chest | trunk/storage chest | |
| tórax | chest | medical term |
How Native Speakers Use Pecho
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Body part
Respira profundo y siente cómo se expande el pecho.
Breathe deeply and feel how your chest expands.
Breathing and anatomy.
Medical symptom
Si tienes dolor en el pecho, debes ir al médico de inmediato.
If you have chest pain, you should see a doctor immediately.
Health warning.
Storage chest
Encontramos un viejo cofre con monedas en el ático.
We found an old chest with coins in the attic.
Cofre for a container.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Pecho
Using pecho for a storage chest
Incorrect: Guardé la ropa en el pecho.
Correct: Guardé la ropa en el baúl.
Pecho is exclusively the body part; cofre or baúl is used for storage containers.
Confusing cofre with coche in Mexico
Incorrect: Abre el cofre del tesoro. (meaning car hood in Mexico)
Correct: Context matters: cofre del carro = car hood in Mexico; cofre del tesoro = treasure chest.
In Mexico, cofre also means car hood, so context is essential to avoid ambiguity.
Lock in Chest 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 Pecho used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using pecho in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Siento un dolor fuerte en el pecho. 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 Chest in Spanish
- How do you say chest in Spanish?
- For the body part, use pecho (PEH-choh); for a treasure or storage chest, use cofre or baúl.
- What is the difference between pecho and tórax?
- Pecho is the everyday word for chest, while tórax is the medical/anatomical term used by doctors and in scientific contexts.
- How do you say chest pain in Spanish?
- Chest pain is dolor de pecho or dolor en el pecho, a phrase important to know for medical emergencies.