Cordero

The word of the day is: 'cordero' = lamb.

The noun  'cordero' is the Spanish word for lamb. The Spanish, 'cordero' is a masculine noun which has its origin in Latin and means an animal (sheep) under one year of age. In Spanish, the noun  'cordero' is also used to indicate the meat from that animal (lamb). Food dishes with the noun 'cordero' in their name usually contain lamb lamb meat.

Related nouns are 'borrego', 'carnero' and 'oveja'  -please see the following notes about 'cordero' and related Spanish nouns and their use in food terminology:

• A 'borrego' is an older lamb (1-2 year old)-term seldom used in food terminology
• A 'carnero' is a male animal (ram), and when referring to food, it usually means mutton
• 'Oveja' is the generic term for sheep and is seldom used in food terminology.
• An ewe (female sheep) is, in Spanish, simply an 'oveja' (we don't use a different word)

 
Grammar.- Please note that, unlike its English counterpart, the noun 'oveja' has a normal plural: 'ovejas'.
 
 
In Spanish, 'cordero' and related nouns are used in some common expressions, such as:

• Cordero lechal (suckling lamb)
• Cordero Pascual (Paschal lamb)
• Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God)
• Contar corderitos (to count sheep)
• Ser un corderito (to be as quiet as a mouse/ to be as good as gold)
• Cordero asado (roast lamb)

Examples of usage of 'cordero' are:

• Hoy tenemos cordero asado (today, we have rost lamb)
• Antonio es un corderito  (Antonio is as good as gold/ quiet as a mouse)
• Contar corderitos ayuda a dormirse (counting sheep helps you fall asleep)

Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'cordero' in YouTube clip with instructions to cook roast lamb: Cordero Asado

More on the word 'cordero', visit:Wordreference.com/es/en/ Cordero

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “cordero” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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