Baby Vocabulary in Spanish

Quick Answer

Do you want your bebé(baby) to be bilingual? Do you work as a nanny for a Spanish-speaking family? You’ve come to the right place! This article will teach you baby-related vocabulary and how to communicate with a baby in Spanish.

How to Refer to a Baby in Spanish

El bebéla bebéfor a female) is the most common way to refer to a baby in Spanish. Don't confuse it with the verb beber(to drink)!

There isn't just one way to say baby in Spanish! Here is a list of alternatives:

Spanish	English	region
la beba	baby (female)	Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras
el crío/la cría	baby	all Spanish-speaking countries
el guagua/la guagua	baby	the Andes
el nene/la nena	baby	Caribbean, South America, Spain

Baby Talk

Even if you speak Spanish well, there is a good chance you won’t understand a baby speaking in Spanish if you don't know their lingo. Here’s a list of common vocabulary used by babies:

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
cabó	all gone	patita	footsie
coco	boo-boo/owie	pipi	birdie
cuco	boogeyman	pipí	pee
fuchi	yuck	popó	poo-poo
guauguáu	doggy	mu	cow
güita	water/drink	tutú	car
michi	kitty cat	tiquitito	little
onetá	peekaboo	upa	piggy-back/up
papa	food	yaya	owie (Chile, Cuba, Peru)

One of the main characteristics of baby talk in Spanish is the replacement of the s sound with a ch sound. For example, when a Spanish-speaking baby says beso(kiss), it sounds more like becho.

Furniture and Accessories

Aside from your constant love and attention, there are things a baby needs. Let’s take a look at how to say the names of basic furniture and accessories for a baby in Spanish.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
el babero	bib	el móvil	mobile
el biberón	bottle	el pañal	diaper
las botitas	booties	el peluche	stuffed animal
el chupete	pacifier	el pijama mono	onesie
el chupón	pacifier (Latin America)	la ropa de bebé	baby clothes
el cochecito	stroller	la silla infantil	car seat
la comida para bebé	baby food	la sillita para comer	high chair
el corral	playpen	el sonajero	rattle
la cuna	crib	el talco de bebé	baby powder
la mamadera	bottle (Latin America)	la toallita húmeda	baby wipe

Check out these examples!

examples
Ponlo en su cuna. Put him in his crib.
No sé cambiar un pañal. I don’t know how to change a diaper.

Baby-Related Verbs

Here is a list of common things babies do and things we do for babies in Spanish!

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
aprender	to learn	dar el biberón a	to bottle-feed
babear	to dribble	dar el pecho a	to breastfeed
bañar	to bathe	gatear	to crawl
berrear	to scream, to bawl, to howl	jugar	to play
calmar	to soothe	llorar	to cry
cambiar	to change	mecer	to rock
comer	to eat	reír	to laugh
chuparse el dedo	to suck one’s thumb	sollozar	to sob
cuidar a	to take care of	sonreír	to smile
dar a luz	to give birth	sostener	to hold

Check out these examples!

examples
La beba está berreando porque tiene hambre. The baby is screaming because she is hungry.
Mi prima dio a luz a una hermosa niña esta mañana. My cousin gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this morning.

Do you have a kid or work with kids? Take a look at these useful articles!

• Tips for Communicating with Parents

• Spanish Book Recommendations for Kids

• First Day of School

• Mother's Day in the Spanish-Speaking World

• Father's Day in the Spanish-Speaking World