What do you call each toe in Spanish?
“El dedo gordo” can be interpreted as either “big toe” or “thumb”. What are the names for the other toes in Spanish?
There is no Spanish word for toe, they are simply referred to as “dedos del pie”. If you want to get literal, that translates to “fingers of the feet”. So you could be forgiven for thinking that while an English speaker has 10 fingers and 10 toes, a Spanish speaker has 20 fingers (10 just happen to be on the feet!)
This is why the Spanish names for the toes overlap pretty significantly with the Spanish names for the fingers. “Dedo gordo” can mean both “thumb” AND “big toe”, depending on the specific contextual clues. Similarly, “meñique” can mean pinky (on the hand) as well as “little toe”.
If you need to be really specific and avoid any undue ambiguity, you could say “el dedo gordo del pie” to signify the big toe and “el dedo gordo de la mano” to signify the thumb. That said, in everyday speech, it would be considered a little unnecessary and redundant.
Generally speaking, the name for the finger can also be used to refer to the toe that occupies the equivalent position on the foot – “dedo anular del pie” is really the only exception. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as we don’t really say “ring toe” in English, either.
Spanish names for the toes
- Dedo gordo = big toe
- Segundo dedo = second toe
- Tercer dedo = middle toe
- Cuarto dedo = fourth toe
- Meñique = little toe
Thanks for reading about Spanish toe names! You may also be interested in learning about Spanish medical phrases for healthcare workers. If you want to be a Spanish master, try to pronounce these Spanish tongue twisters.
