How to Say “Bitch” in Spanish
The literal word for “bitch” in Spanish is perra, a female dog. As an insult for a woman, the usual words are perra, zorra and cabrona, and all of them are offensive. “Son of a bitch” is hijo de puta, which is much stronger in Spanish than in English. And the English verb “to bitch” (to complain) is simply quejarse. Which word fits depends on what you mean, so this page separates the literal, the insulting, the joking and the everyday “complaining” senses, with real sentences and the regional words you will hear.
A word of warning first: these are vulgar words. Use them only when you understand the situation, and never with strangers, at work or with people older than you. Many learners want to understand them in films, songs and conversations; that is the main aim here.
Quick answer: the main translations
| English meaning | Spanish | How strong |
|---|---|---|
| female dog (neutral) | perra, la hembra (breeders’ term) | neutral |
| a nasty woman (insult) | perra, zorra, cabrona, bruja | strong; bruja is milder |
| son of a bitch | hijo de puta, hijo de perra, cabrón | very strong / strong |
| to bitch (complain) | quejarse, protestar | neutral |
| bitchy (mean, rude) | borde (Spain), pesada, mala onda (Latin America) | mild to moderate |
| it’s a bitch (it’s hard or annoying) | es un rollo, es una lata, es un fastidio, es una pesadilla | mild, informal |
| life’s a bitch | la vida es dura, así es la vida | neutral |
Perra: the literal word and the insult
Perra is the feminine of perro (dog), and with animals it is completely normal: Mi perra acaba de tener cachorros. (My dog has just had puppies.) ¿Es perro o perra? (Is it a male or a female?) Nobody hears anything rude in those sentences.
Said about a woman, perra is an insult, as in English. Its sense varies: in Spain and much of Latin America it suggests a cruel or treacherous woman, and in some places a promiscuous one.
- Es una perra, me mintió a la cara. – She’s a bitch, she lied to my face.
Two more uses are worth knowing so you do not misread them:
- Mexico: the adjective perro / perra can mean “brutal, really hard” about a situation: El examen estuvo bien perro. (The exam was brutal.) This is slang, not an insult to anyone.
- Spain: hacer el perro means “to laze about”, and ¡Qué perro eres! means “You’re so lazy!” Again, no insult to a woman is meant.
Other words for a woman as an insult
These are the words you will hear in films and arguments. All of them can hurt; the notes show what each one really says.
- zorra – literally a vixen (female fox). As an insult it usually accuses a woman of being promiscuous or sly. Very common in Spain. Note that zorro (male fox) as a person means “cunning”, and is not nearly as rude.
- cabrona – the feminine of cabrón (literally a billy goat). It means a mean, ruthless woman. Among close friends in Spain and Mexico it can also be playful or even admiring: ¡Qué cabrona, aprobaste todo! (You legend, you passed everything!). Tone decides which.
- puta – literally a prostitute; one of the strongest insults in the language. Avoid it.
- bruja – a witch. A mild insult for a nasty or bad-tempered woman, and the closest to how English speakers sometimes use “bitch” lightly: Mi jefa es una bruja. (My boss is a witch.)
- arpía – a harpy. Old-fashioned and dramatic; a scheming, cruel woman.
- víbora – a viper. A two-faced woman who spreads gossip.
“Son of a bitch” in Spanish
English “son of a bitch” has lost much of its force; the Spanish equivalents have not.
- hijo de puta – the direct match, and very offensive. In fast speech it shortens to hijoputa (Spain) or hijueputa (Colombia). Used as an exclamation of surprise among friends in some countries, but never safe for a learner.
- hijo de perra – closer word for word, and slightly less shocking; you will hear it a lot in dubbed films.
- cabrón – a bastard, a nasty man. In Mexico it is also used constantly between male friends: ¿Qué onda, cabrón? (What’s up, man?). That friendly use does not transfer to strangers.
- desgraciado / miserable – wretch, scoundrel; strong but not vulgar, so safer if you need to call someone a “son of a bitch” in writing.
“To bitch” = to complain
When English speakers say “stop bitching” they mean “stop complaining”. Spanish uses ordinary verbs here, which is good news: they are not rude at all.
- quejarse (de) – to complain (about): Siempre se queja del trabajo. (He’s always bitching about work.)
- protestar – to grumble, moan: Deja de protestar y ayúdame. (Stop bitching and help me.)
- quejica (Spain), quejumbroso, llorón / llorona – a moaner, a whiner.
- criticar a alguien / hablar mal de alguien – to bitch about someone behind their back: Se pasaron la tarde criticando a su cuñada. (They spent the afternoon bitching about their sister-in-law.)
- chismear / cotillear (Spain) – to gossip.
“It’s a bitch”, “bitchy” and other casual uses
- It’s a bitch to do something (hard or annoying): Es un rollo aparcar aquí (Spain), Es una lata estacionar aquí (Latin America), Aparcar aquí es una pesadilla (Parking here is a nightmare).
- Bitchy (rude, unfriendly): Estuvo muy borde conmigo (Spain, she was really bitchy with me), Fue muy mala onda conmigo (Latin America), Es muy pesada (She’s a real pain).
- Resting bitch face: there is no fixed Spanish phrase. People say cara de borde (Spain) or cara de pocos amigos (a face that says “not many friends”), which is a common idiom.
- Life’s a bitch: La vida es dura (life is hard), or more vulgar, la vida es una mierda.
- “Bitch” between friends (as in “hey, bitch!”): Spanish speakers might say tía (Spain), amiga, wey / güey (Mexico) or, among some groups, perra or zorra jokingly. If you are not part of that group, it will sound like an insult.
Regional words
| Where | Common insult words | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | zorra, cabrona, perra, borde (mean) | Hijoputa is heard as a curse; tía is the friendly word. |
| Mexico | perra, cabrona, vieja (in an insulting tone) | Cabrón between male friends is normal; pinche intensifies an insult: pinche vieja. |
| Argentina, Uruguay | turra, yegua (literally a mare), forra | Turra and yegua are very common local insults for a woman. |
| Chile | maraca, perra | Maraca is a strong local insult. |
| Colombia | perra, hijueputa (curse) | Hijueputa is so frequent it often works as a general exclamation. |
How strong is it? A simple scale
- Safe: perra (the animal), quejarse, protestar, es un fastidio.
- Rude but not vulgar: bruja, pesada, borde, desgraciado.
- Vulgar insult: perra, zorra, cabrona, cabrón, hijo de perra.
- Among the worst: puta, hijo de puta.
Spanish insults also grow with intensifiers: pedazo de (Spain), pinche (Mexico), maldita (damn). ¡Maldita perra! is far worse than perra alone.
Female animal words (and why some are insults)
Spanish marks the sex of many animals with the ending, and several of the feminine forms double as insults for women. Knowing the neutral meaning helps you read the context.
| Animal | Male / female | As an insult (female form) |
|---|---|---|
| dog | perro / perra | bitch |
| fox | zorro / zorra | slut, sly woman |
| goat | cabrón / cabra | cabrona: nasty woman (¡Estás como una cabra! means “You’re crazy!”) |
| horse | caballo / yegua | Argentina: a nasty woman |
| pig | cerdo / cerda | a dirty or disgusting person |
| cow | toro / vaca | an insult about weight |
| cat | gato / gata | not an insult; Mexico: once used for a maid, now considered offensive |
So la perra del vecino is the neighbour’s dog, while la vecina es una perra is an insult. The article and the subject tell you which.
How it sounds in a real exchange
Here is how the same English word comes out three different ways in natural Spanish:
- – ¿Qué tal con tu nueva compañera de piso? – Fatal. Se pasa el día quejándose de todo. (How’s it going with your new flatmate? – Awful. She bitches about everything all day.)
- – ¿Y el viaje? – Un rollo. Ocho horas de autobús. (How was the trip? – A bitch. Eight hours on a bus.)
- – No la soporto. Es una víbora, va contando mentiras de todos. (I can’t stand her. She’s a real bitch, she spreads lies about everyone.)
None of these needs the word perra, and that is usually the most natural choice.
Common mistakes
- Translating “stop bitching” as deja de ser perra. That calls her a bitch. Say deja de quejarte.
- Thinking hijo de puta is as mild as “son of a bitch”. It is not; it can start a fight.
- Copying the friendly cabrón you hear among Mexican friends. Between strangers it is an insult.
- Avoiding perra for your dog. There is no need: for an animal it is the normal word.
- Using zorro and zorra as if they matched. A man who is a zorro is clever; a woman called zorra is being insulted.
Check yourself
Which Spanish phrase fits each English sentence?
- My dog is a very sweet girl. (about a pet)
- Stop bitching about the weather.
- Parking in the centre is a bitch.
- She was really bitchy to the waiter. (Spain)
- They were bitching about their boss all evening.
Answers
- Mi perra es muy cariñosa.
- Deja de quejarte del tiempo.
- Aparcar en el centro es una pesadilla (or es un rollo).
- Fue muy borde con el camarero.
- Se pasaron la tarde criticando a su jefe.
Quick answers
What does perra mean in Spanish? A female dog. Used about a woman, it is an insult like “bitch”.
Is cabrona always an insult? No. Between close friends in Spain and Mexico it can be teasing or a compliment, but with anyone else it is rude.
How do you say “son of a bitch” in Spanish? Hijo de puta (very strong), hijo de perra or cabrón.
What is the polite way to say someone is being a bitch? Está siendo muy desagradable (she’s being very unpleasant) or Fue muy grosera (she was very rude).
How do you say “bitch” in Spanish slang among friends? Friends use tía (Spain), amiga, wey (Mexico) or boluda (Argentina). In some groups people tease each other with perra or zorra, but from an outsider it is an insult.
Is bruja a bad word? Not really. It means “witch” and is a mild way to call a woman nasty; it is fine in a joke and not vulgar.
Related: how to say “shut up” in Spanish, “balls” in Spanish, how to say “dog” in Spanish and Spanish gender rules (why perro becomes perra).
