Spanish · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Cow" in Spanish: vaca

la vaca

Say it: BAH-kahfeminine · la vacanoun/ˈba.ka/

A cow is la vaca (BAH-kah). It is feminine: una vaca, las vacas. Milk often comes as leche de vaca.

On a farm

La vaca está en el campo.
The cow is in the field.
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How to pronounce vaca

Say it

BAH-kah

/ˈba.ka/

BAH-kah. Stress BAH. Soft b between vowels is fine. Keep vaca short.

"Cow" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
la vacathe cow

Default feminine noun.

las vacasthe cows

Plural.

la leche de vacacow's milk

Labels and menus.

el ganadocattle / livestock

Group of farm animals, not one cow.

How to use vaca in real life

  1. 1On a farm

    La vaca está en el campo.

    The cow is in the field.

    La vaca as subject.

  2. 2At a market

    ¿Es leche de vaca?

    Is it cow's milk?

    Leche de vaca names the source.

  3. 3Counting animals

    Hay tres vacas cerca.

    There are three cows nearby.

    Vacas is the plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with vaca

Incorrect: El vaca come pasto.

Correct: La vaca come pasto.

Vaca is feminine. Use la vaca.

Incorrect: Compro leche de vaco.

Correct: Compro leche de vaca.

Keep vaca for the animal and for leche de vaca.

Good to know

Vaca is everyday farm Spanish across Latin America. Leche de vaca appears on cartons. Toros and bueyes are different animals; start with vaca for cow.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Visiting a dairy farm

  1. ChatPal

    Mira la vaca blanca.

    Look at the white cow.

  2. You

    ¿Da mucha leche esa vaca?

    Does that cow give a lot of milk?

  3. ChatPal

    Sí, por la mañana.

    Yes, in the morning.

  4. You

    Qué interesante el rancho.

    How interesting the ranch is.

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"Cow" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Cow" in Spanish

Is vaca masculine or feminine?

Feminine: la vaca, una vaca, las vacas.

How do you say cow's milk?

Leche de vaca.

How do you pronounce vaca?

BAH-kah with stress on BAH.

What is ganado?

Ganado means cattle as a group. One animal is la vaca.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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