Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Chicken" in Spanish: Pollo, Gallina & Gallo
Pollo · noun · POH-yoh
In Spanish, pollo refers to chicken meat as food and also to a young chicken of either sex. Gallina specifically means a hen (adult female), while gallo is a rooster (adult male). Colloquially, gallina can mean 'coward,' and in some Latin American countries, pollo is slang for a young or inexperienced person.
Pollo: POH-yoh (the ll sounds like English 'y' in most dialects). Gallina: gah-YEE-nah. Gallo: GAH-yoh.
Pedí pollo asado con papas fritas.
I ordered roasted chicken with French fries.
Chicken in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for chicken, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| pollo | chicken | POH-yoh | Default, widely understood |
| gallina | chicken | hen (female chicken); also 'coward' colloquially | |
| gallo | chicken | rooster (male chicken) |
How Native Speakers Use Pollo
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Ordering food
El caldo de pollo de mi abuela es el mejor del mundo.
My grandmother's chicken soup is the best in the world.
Pollo is the word used on menus, in recipes, and at the butcher for chicken meat.
The live animal (hen)
La gallina puso tres huevos esta mañana.
The hen laid three eggs this morning.
Gallina refers specifically to an adult female chicken, especially in a farming context.
Colloquial: calling someone a coward
No seas gallina, lánzate a la piscina.
Don't be a chicken—jump into the pool.
Gallina is used colloquially to call someone a coward, parallel to the English insult 'chicken.'
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Pollo
Using gallina for food
Incorrect: Quiero un sándwich de gallina.
Correct: Quiero un sándwich de pollo.
When referring to chicken as food or meat, pollo is the correct word. Gallina specifically means a living hen and is not standard on menus.
Confusing pollo and pavo
Incorrect: En Acción de Gracias comemos pollo relleno.
Correct: En Acción de Gracias comemos pavo relleno.
The traditional Thanksgiving bird is a turkey, which is pavo in Spanish, not pollo (chicken).
Lock in Chicken 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 Pollo used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using pollo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Pedí pollo asado con papas fritas. 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 Chicken in Spanish
- What is the difference between pollo, gallina, and gallo?
- Pollo is chicken meat or a young bird. Gallina is an adult female hen. Gallo is an adult male rooster. At a restaurant you will almost always see pollo on the menu.
- Does pollo have any slang meanings?
- In some Latin American countries, calling someone un pollo can mean they are young, inexperienced, or naive. The exact connotation varies by region and context.
- How do I say 'fried chicken' in Spanish?
- Pollo frito. For other preparations: pollo asado (roasted chicken), pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken), pollo al horno (baked chicken).