Spanish · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Does it bite?" in Spanish: ¿Muerde?

¿Muerde?

Say it: MWEHR-dehphrase/ˈmweɾde/

Does it bite is ¿Muerde? It comes from morder. Ask before you pet. Soften with muerde este perro.

Meeting a dog

¿Muerde? Quiero tocarlo.
Does it bite? I want to pet it.
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How to pronounce ¿Muerde?

Say it

MWEHR-deh

/ˈmweɾde/

MWEHR-deh. Stress MWEHR. Soft d. Say muerde carefully and short.

"Does it bite?" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
¿Muerde?Does it bite?

Direct safety check.

¿Muerde este perro?Does this dog bite?

Clearer with the animal.

No muerde.It doesn't bite.

Reassuring reply.

Cuidado, muerde.Careful, it bites.

Warning.

How to use ¿Muerde? in real life

  1. 1Meeting a dog

    ¿Muerde? Quiero tocarlo.

    Does it bite? I want to pet it.

    Ask muerde before contact.

  2. 2At a friend's house

    Tu gato: ¿muerde o araña?

    Your cat: does it bite or scratch?

    Muerde in a choice question.

  3. 3Park caution

    Pregunta siempre: ¿muerde?

    Always ask: does it bite?

    Advice with muerde.

Mistakes English speakers make with ¿Muerde?

Incorrect: ¿Bite?

Correct: ¿Muerde?

Use muerde, not English bite.

Incorrect: ¿Muerda el perro?

Correct: ¿Muerde el perro?

Third person is muerde. Muerda is subjunctive.

Good to know

Owners often answer no muerde before guests pet a dog. Still ask muerde with unfamiliar animals. Prefer ustedes, not vosotros.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Meeting a neighbor's dog

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Muerde tu perro?

    Does your dog bite?

  2. You

    No. Él no muerde a nadie.

    No. He doesn't bite anyone.

  3. ChatPal

    Perfecto. ¿Puedo tocarlo?

    Perfect. Can I pet him?

  4. You

    . Dale la mano despacio.

    Yes. Offer your hand slowly.

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"Does it bite?" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Does it bite?" in Spanish

What verb is ¿Muerde? from?

Morder, to bite. Muerde means he, she, or it bites.

How do I say it doesn't bite?

No muerde.

How do you pronounce ¿Muerde?

MWEHR-deh with stress on MWEHR.

Formal or informal?

Muerde works for the animal. Add usted only for a person.

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