Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Rooster in Spanish: Gallo
Gallo · noun (masculine) · GAH-yoh
Rooster in Spanish is gallo, a masculine noun. It is the adult male chicken, known for crowing at dawn. In Spanish, the rooster's crow is represented as quiquiriquí (not cock-a-doodle-doo). Gallo also appears in many idioms and expressions.
GAH-yoh — two syllables. The ll produces a y sound in most Spanish dialects.
El gallo canta todas las mañanas al amanecer.
The rooster crows every morning at dawn.
Rooster in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for rooster, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| gallo | rooster | GAH-yoh | Default, widely understood |
| gallina | rooster | hen (female chicken) |
How Native Speakers Use Gallo
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Farm animal
El gallo persigue a las gallinas por todo el corral.
The rooster chases the hens around the whole yard.
Gallo and gallina form the male/female pair for chickens.
Idiomatic expression
Se levanta con el gallo todos los días.
He gets up with the rooster every day. (Very early.)
Levantarse con el gallo means to wake up very early — at rooster-crowing time.
Food item
En Guatemala, los tamales de gallo son tradicionales en Navidad.
In Guatemala, rooster tamales are traditional at Christmas.
Gallo also appears in food names, like gallo pinto (rice and beans dish in Costa Rica).
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Gallo
Using gallo for all chickens
Incorrect: Compré un gallo en el supermercado. (meaning: a whole chicken for cooking)
Correct: Compré un pollo en el supermercado.
Gallo is specifically the rooster (male). Pollo is chicken (the meat or a young chicken). Gallina is hen. For cooking, you buy pollo.
Confusing gallina with gallo
Incorrect: La gallina cantó al amanecer.
Correct: El gallo cantó al amanecer.
Gallina is the hen (female). Gallo is the rooster that crows. Crowing at dawn is associated with the gallo.
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See Gallo used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Rooster in Spanish
- How do you say rooster in Spanish?
- Rooster is gallo in Spanish. It is masculine: el gallo. The hen is la gallina, and a chick is un pollito.
- What sound does a rooster make in Spanish?
- In Spanish, the rooster says quiquiriquí (kee-kee-ree-KEE), which is the equivalent of English cock-a-doodle-doo.
- What does gallo pinto mean?
- Gallo pinto (painted rooster) is a traditional rice-and-beans dish from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The name comes from the speckled appearance of the mixed ingredients.