Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Mustache in Spanish: Bigote
Bigote · noun (masculine) · bee-GOH-teh
Mustache in Spanish is bigote, a masculine noun. It covers all styles of upper-lip facial hair. The literary or exaggerated variant mostacho refers to a large, dramatic mustache. The diminutive bigotito describes a thin or small one.
bee-GOH-teh — three syllables with stress on the middle syllable. The g is soft, as in go.
Se dejó crecer el bigote durante el verano.
He grew out his mustache during the summer.
Mustache in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for mustache, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| bigote | mustache | bee-GOH-teh | Default, widely understood |
| mostacho | mustache | literary or humorous, large mustache |
How Native Speakers Use Bigote
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing appearance
Tiene un bigote grueso y canoso.
He has a thick, gray mustache.
Bigote pairs naturally with adjectives like grueso (thick), fino (thin), and recortado (trimmed).
Grooming
Se recorta el bigote cada semana.
He trims his mustache every week.
Recortarse el bigote is the standard phrase for mustache grooming.
Informal expression
¡Qué bigotes tiene ese gato!
What whiskers that cat has!
Bigotes also means whiskers on an animal — a common secondary meaning.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Bigote
Using mustacho as a direct translation
Incorrect: Se afeitó el mustacho.
Correct: Se afeitó el bigote.
Mustacho does not exist in standard Spanish. The correct word is bigote. Mostacho exists but is rare and humorous.
Confusing bigote with barba
Incorrect: Lleva bigote. (pointing to a full beard)
Correct: Lleva barba. / Lleva bigote y barba.
Bigote is only the upper-lip hair. Barba is the beard (chin and jaw). They are distinct facial features.
Lock in Mustache 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 Bigote used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using bigote in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Se dejó crecer el bigote durante el verano. 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 Mustache in Spanish
- How do you say mustache in Spanish?
- Mustache is bigote in Spanish. It is masculine: el bigote. For an exaggerated or theatrical mustache, some use mostacho.
- Does bigote have other meanings?
- Yes — bigotes (plural) also refers to whiskers on cats and other animals. Context makes the meaning clear.
- How do you say to shave the mustache in Spanish?
- Afeitarse el bigote or rasurarse el bigote. Both mean to shave off the mustache.