What does “cochinito” mean in Mexican Spanish?
La historia de Anita y su problema con la ropa
A1 Spanish listening practice · Mexican Spanish · Picked for people who know a little
In Mexico, cochinito is the everyday word for a piggy bank — a small clay pig where you drop coins to save money. It comes from cochino (pig), so it literally means “little pig.” The formal word is alcancía, but most Mexicans just say cochinito. When you finally smash it open to spend your savings, you rompes el cochinito (“break the piggy bank”).
In the clip Anita rompe su cochinito to go shopping. Note that cochino on its own can also mean “dirty” or “filthy,” so context tells you whether someone means a pig, a mess, or a coin box.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A1 Spanish listening practice video?
How common in written Spanish
How common in spoken Spanish
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A1. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-ESP 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.