Today’s Spanish word of the day is “culo”.
It a masculine noun meaning “butt” (American English), or “bum” (British English). Sorry if that’s a bit rude, but it’s quite a common word, so it’s important to know!
“Culo” is quite a colloquial word, and there are other words to refer to this part of the body in medical and scientific contexts. A more polite, but still colloquial, way to refer to this part of this body would be to call it “el trasero” (“the backside”).
Example sentences
Me pasé todo el día sentado y ahora me duele el culo.
I spent the whole day sitting and now my butt hurts.
Tiene un tatuaje en el culo.
He/She has a tattoo on his/her butt.
Ese asiento es muy incómodo para el culo.
That seat is very uncomfortable for the butt.
Me pateó en el culo durante el partido.
He/she kicked me in the butt during the game.
Tengo que mover mi culo y hacer ejercicio.
I need to get my butt moving and exercise.
Common phrases using the word “culo”
As with many rude words, there are many common expressions and sayings using the word “culo”. Some of these include the following:
Tener una flor en el culo
- Literal translation: To have a flower in the butt.
- Meaning: To be very lucky, especially when the luck isn’t deserved.
- Example: Debe tener una flor en el culo. – He/she must be very lucky.
Hasta el culo
- Literal translation: Up to the butt.
- Meaning: To be very busy or to full capacity. It’s a bit like in English how you might say you’re “up to your ears” in something. A more polite version of this phrase in Spanish is “hasta las narices”, which literally means “up to the noses”.
- Example: Estoy hasta el culo de trabajo. – I’m up to my ears in work.
Moverse el culo
- Literal translation: To move one’s butt. This phrase also exists in English, in the sense of getting out of the way or getting on with something.
- Example: ¡Muévete el culo! – Move your butt!
