burro
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donkey, ass, fool, dunce, coarse person
/ˈburo/
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A word centered on the donkey, with extensions for insults, support frames, games, racing slang, drug couriers, and regional objects or foods.
Examples
Aunque estudió mucho, se puso burro y no quiso escuchar.
Although he studied a lot, he got stubborn and refused to listen.
El último en poner la mano recibió una letra de burro.
The last one to put a hand down received a letter in burro.
En la jerga local, burro no aludía al animal.
In local slang, burro did not refer to the animal.
El paciente avanzaba despacio con un burro metálico.
The patient moved slowly with a metal walker.
La modista dejó una burra para terminarla mañana.
The seamstress left an unfinished task to finish tomorrow.
Similar words
traficante
matungo
andador
caballete
correo
jumento
chancho
botín
rozno
zopenco
Meanings
Examples
El burro subió la cuesta con dos sacos de maíz.
The donkey climbed the hill with two sacks of corn.
La burra descansó junto al pozo después del viaje.
The jenny rested by the well after the trip.
En la sierra todavía usan burros para llevar leña.
In the mountains they still use donkeys to carry firewood.
El niño cepilló al burro antes de montarlo.
The child brushed the donkey before riding it.
Un burro puede avanzar con paso seguro por terreno pedregoso.
A donkey can move steadily over rocky ground.
Similar words
asno
borrico
jumento
pollino
rucio
rozno
Examples
No seas burro y lee las instrucciones antes de empezar.
Do not be a fool and read the instructions before starting.
La broma fue muy burra y nadie se rió.
The joke was very crude and nobody laughed.
Le llamó burro por repetir el mismo error.
He called him a dunce for repeating the same mistake.
Aunque estudió mucho, se puso burro y no quiso escuchar.
Although he studied a lot, he got stubborn and refused to listen.
Ese comentario tan burro arruinó la reunión.
That very rude comment ruined the meeting.
Similar words
tonto
necio
bruto
zopenco
zoquete
ignorante
torpe
rudo
Examples
El carpintero apoyó el tablón en un burro de madera.
The carpenter rested the plank on a wooden sawhorse.
En México guardan el burro de planchar detrás de la puerta.
In Mexico they store the ironing board behind the door.
Usó un burro para cambiar el foco del techo.
He used a stepladder to change the ceiling bulb.
El paciente avanzaba despacio con un burro metálico.
The patient moved slowly with a metal walker.
Los pintores pusieron la puerta sobre dos burros.
The painters set the door on two trestles.
Similar words
caballete
borriqueta
borriquete
soporte
andador
escalera
Examples
Después de comer jugaron al burro con una baraja española.
After eating they played burro with a Spanish deck.
El último en poner la mano recibió una letra de burro.
The last one to put a hand down received a letter in burro.
En esa variante de burro, todos pasan cartas muy rápido.
In that variant of burro, everyone passes cards very quickly.
Mi primo fue el burro de la ronda y tuvo que mezclar.
My cousin was the loser of the round and had to shuffle.
Aprendimos las reglas del burro antes de repartir.
We learned the rules of burro before dealing.
Examples
En el hipódromo apostó por el burro número siete.
At the racetrack he bet on horse number seven.
Los burreros estudiaban cada burro antes de la carrera.
The racing fans studied each horse before the race.
Ese burro venía de ganar dos clásicos en Montevideo.
That racehorse had just won two classics in Montevideo.
El jockey dijo que el burro respondía bien en la recta.
The jockey said the horse responded well on the straight.
Nadie esperaba que aquel burro pagara tanto en las apuestas.
Nobody expected that horse to pay so much in the betting.
Examples
La policía detuvo a un burro cerca de la terminal.
The police arrested a drug courier near the terminal.
La red usaba burros para mover paquetes pequeños.
The network used couriers to move small packages.
El juez distinguió al burro de los jefes de la banda.
The judge distinguished the courier from the gang leaders.
En la jerga local, burro no aludía al animal.
In local slang, burro did not refer to the animal.
Aceptó trabajar de burro y acabó preso.
He agreed to work as a drug mule and ended up in prison.
Similar words
mula
correo
traficante
pasador
Examples
En Honduras pidió una burra caliente con frijoles.
In Honduras she ordered a hot folded tortilla dish with beans.
El campesino compró unos burros de cuero resistente.
The farmer bought sturdy leather boots.
En Costa Rica sirvieron burra para el desayuno.
In Costa Rica they served gallo pinto for breakfast.
La modista dejó una burra para terminarla mañana.
The seamstress left an unfinished task to finish tomorrow.
El menú explicaba que la burra llevaba arroz y queso.
The menu explained that the burra contained rice and cheese.
Similar words
botín
gallo pinto
tortilla
tarea
Etymology
From borrico, ultimately linked to Late Latin burricus, a small or poor horse.
FAQ
What does burro mean in Spanish?
It most often means a donkey, but it can also name a foolish person, a support frame, a card game, and several regional things.
Can burro describe a person?
Yes. It is an informal insult for someone considered foolish, ignorant, coarse, or stubborn.
Is burro the same as asno?
They overlap in the animal sense. Asno is often more formal or literary, while burro is very common in everyday speech.
What is a burro in a workshop?
It can be a caballete, borriqueta, ironing board, stepladder, or walker depending on the region.
Does burro name a card game?
Yes. Burro is a Spanish-card game, and the loser of a hand can also be called the burro.
What forms does burro have?
The regular feminine is burra, with plurals burros and burras.
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