How do you say 'hood' in Spanish?

For clothing hoods, the word is capucha. For the hood of a car, use capó (most countries) or cofre (Mexico).

What is a hoodie called in Spanish?

A hoodie is called a sudadera con capucha (sweatshirt with hood), often shortened to just sudadera in casual speech.

Why does Mexico use cofre instead of capó?

Regional vocabulary differences exist across the Spanish-speaking world — Mexico adopted cofre (literally chest or trunk) for the car hood, while most other countries use capó from the French capot.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Hood in Spanish: Capucha

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

Capucha · noun · kah-POO-chah

Capucha is the Spanish word for hood (on clothing). For the hood of a car, the word is capó in most countries or cofre in Mexico.

kah-POO-chah

Ponte la capucha, está lloviendo.

Put your hood on, it's raining.

Hood in Spanish: Quick Reference

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

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
capucha	hood	kah-POO-chah	Default, widely understood
capó	hood		car hood
cofre	hood		car hood, Mexico

How Native Speakers Use Capucha

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

Rainy weather

Se puso la capucha porque empezó a llover.

He put on his hood because it started raining.

Protecting from rain.

Car hood

Abre el capó del coche para revisar el motor.

Open the hood of the car to check the engine.

Car maintenance.

Mexican usage

El mecánico levantó el cofre del auto.

The mechanic lifted the hood of the car.

Using the Mexican regional term.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Capucha

Confusing capucha with capó

Incorrect: Ponte el capó, hace frío.

Correct: Ponte la capucha, hace frío.

Capó is the car hood, while capucha is the clothing hood — mixing them up creates confusion.

Using capa instead

Incorrect: Se cubrió con la capa de la sudadera.

Correct: Se cubrió con la capucha de la sudadera.

Capa means cape or layer, not hood — the correct term for the head covering on a sweatshirt is capucha.

Lock in Hood 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 Capucha used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using capucha in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Ponte la capucha, está lloviendo. 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 Hood in Spanish

How do you say 'hood' in Spanish?: For clothing hoods, the word is capucha. For the hood of a car, use capó (most countries) or cofre (Mexico).
What is a hoodie called in Spanish?: A hoodie is called a sudadera con capucha (sweatshirt with hood), often shortened to just sudadera in casual speech.
Why does Mexico use cofre instead of capó?: Regional vocabulary differences exist across the Spanish-speaking world — Mexico adopted cofre (literally chest or trunk) for the car hood, while most other countries use capó from the French capot.