If you’ve visited Mexico or have Mexican friends, you’ve probably heard the word ‘pedo’ being used to talk about a ‘fart’ (and a bunch of other things!), but there are in fact other ways to refer to that foul-smelling bottom burp that you’ve just squeezed out.
Something interesting about farting (since we’re on the subject!) is that Latin American humor generally puts less emphasis on farts than other countries (for example, the U.S.). As such, there are far less variations of the word ‘fart’ in Spanish than in English!
Still, you’ll probably find some of these quite interesting and/or amusing.
Let’s get right to it!
1 Flato
This is a more formal way to say ‘fart’ in Spanish, although it’s not particularly common and its meaning is more akin to being gassy.
Its equivalent in English would be the words ‘wind’ or ‘flatus’; both ‘flato’ and ‘flatus’ come from the Latin word ‘flatus’, which means ‘wind’ or ‘breath’, so it’s a rather poetic way to call a fart if you ask me!
En el consultorio del doctor
Doctor – ¿Está presentando flato?
Paciente – Sí, bastante, además de espasmos en el estómago…
At the doctor’s office
Doctor – Do you have wind?
Patient – Yes, quite a lot, I´ve got stomach spasms as well …
2 Flatulencia
‘Flatulencia’ (‘flatulence’ in English) is also derived from the Latin ‘flatus’.
This one’s far more common in everyday speech and is actually a medical term for when gas or wind is released from the digestive system. Ugh!
¿Conoces algún remedio para aliviar la flatulencia? Llevo horas sintiéndome mal…
Do you have a remedy for flatulence? I’ve been feeling ill for hours now …
3 Ventosidad
Speaking of wind, the word ‘ventosidad’ derives from yet another Latin word, ‘ventositas’. It may sound a bit funny, but the term IS used in formal conversation; it´s also far more common in Spain than in any other Spanish-speaking country.
This one’s not to be confused with the meteorological phenomenon (i.e., a breeze), although it is true that wind (of the weather variety) is nothing more than moving air and gases.
Tread carefully though as if you use ‘ventosidad’ to describe a gust or breeze, you’re sure to get some confused looks!
Decidió soltar una ventosidad en pleno transporte público, para el desagrado de todos sus acompañantes.
He decided to pass gas while on public transport, to the displeasure of all those around him.
4 Pedo
‘Pedo’ is one of those words that´s likely to drive any non-Mexican crazy, even Spanish-speakers from other countries!
It has LOTS of uses, and its meanings are so nuanced that they often get lost in translation – especially if you’re at a party with Mexican friends and ‘andan pedos’ (‘they´re drunk’ in English … see what I mean?).
Anyway, one of these meanings is none other than our old friend and topic of the day, ‘fart’. It´s not to be confused with ‘to fart’ as a verb, because that would be either ‘echarse un pedo’ or ‘pedorrearse’.
El pedo de mi perro fue lo peor que he olido en mi vida…
My dog’s fart was the worst thing I’ve smelled in my life …
Carlos – Wey! ¿Te echaste un pedo? ¡Me voy a sofocar!
José – No wey, ¡te juro que yo no fui!
Carlos – Dude! Did you just fart? I’m gonna suffocate!
José – Nah, dude, I swear it wasn’t me!
Linda – ¡Maestra, Lupita se pedorreó!
Maestra – ¡Linda, no hables así de tu compañera!
Linda – Teacher, Lupita farted!
Teacher – Linda, don’t say that about your classmate!
5 Pun
Nope, a ‘fart’ in Spanish isn´t a ‘pun’ in English – even if there are many puns about farts. ‘Pun’ in Spanish isn’t really a word, but instead onomatopoeia. Think of it at as the equivalent of ‘toot’ or ‘pfft’, the kind of words you´d find in comics and memes.
Also, the Spanish word ‘pun’ isn´t pronounced like ‘pun’ in English, but more like ‘poon’ (think ‘oo’ instead of ‘u’).
It’s typically used as a kid-friendly euphemism.
Abuela – ¡Mijo!* ¿Te chaste un pun?
Nieto – ¡Jajaja! ¡No fui yo…fue mi juguete!
Granny – My child! Did you just toot?
Grandchild – Hahaha! It wasn’t me … it was my toy!
Erika’s top tip – ‘mijo’ is a common term of endearment in Central America and Mexico.
6 Pluma
Another kid-friendly term for ‘fart’ in Spanish is ‘pluma’, which actually means ‘feather’.
It’s unclear where this colloquialism came from, but it could be related to one of the more scientific meanings of the word; it´s used in climatology to describe that which is emitted from a chimney (something like a ‘plume of smoke’ in English).
That, or it’s just a fun coincidence!
¡Fuchi, Pepito! ¡Ya te echaste otra pluma!
Gross, Pepito! You farted again!
7 Cuesco
‘Cuesco’ has a lot of meanings, such as the ‘stone of a fruit’ and, of course, ‘fart’. This slang term is mostly used in Spain, so don’t expect people in Latin America to understand it as a synonym of ‘fart’!
Fun fact: in Mexico ‘pedo’ can mean both a ‘fart’ OR a ‘party’, and ‘cuesco’ also means both in Spain, especially when referring to a ‘borrachera’ (a party at which there’s heavy drinking).
¡Ese cuesco se debió escuchar a kilómetros a la redonda!
That fart must’ve been heard for miles around!
8 Gas
This one’s a no-brainer – ‘gas’ in English is spelled the same in Spanish. Its plural form is ‘gases’.
Lola – ¿Quieres más enchiladas?
Héctor – No, gracias…Me siento lleno de gases.
Lola – Do you want more enchiladas?
Héctor – No, thanks … I feel bloated.
How to say ‘I farted’ in Spanish
Me eché un pedo / Me tiré un pedo / Me eché un gas / Me tiré un gas
These phrases are similar to ‘I passed gas’ in English, although the first two are a LOT less formal. You can use the verbs ‘echar’ or ‘tirar’ interchangeably – both mean ‘to throw’ in English.
Just note that in Spanish we always use the indirect object pronoun ‘me’ instead of ‘yo’ (‘I‘) as ‘echarse’ and ‘tirarse’ are reflexive verbs,
La neta es que me tiré un pedo y el coche huele a diablos.
The truth is I farted and the car smells horrible.
Me pedorreé
We can also use the verb ‘pedorrear’.
And if you want to say that someone is particularly prone to farting, then you can call them ‘pedorro’ (recommended only if you’re very close to the person in question!).
Paola – Ay, no, ¡qué vergüenza! ¡Me pedorreé enfrente de todos!
Karina – ¡Jajaja! De ahora en adelante, te llamaré, ¡‘mi amiga pedorra’¡
Paola – Oh no, I’m so ashamed! I farted in front of everyone!
Karina – Hahaha! From now on, I’m gonna call you ‘my farting friend’!
Pasó un ratón en motocicleta
This one´s generally used when young Mexican kids fart, and they’re parents want to avoid the word ‘pedo’ and other similar words.
It literally means ‘a mouse passed by on a motorcycle’, and it paints an amusing picture for children. The idea of their farts’ sound being made by a tiny motorcycle driven by a mouse usually cracks them up!
Un niño se pedorrea
Abuelo – ¡Híjole! ¿Qué fue eso? ¡Se me hace que pasó un ratón en motocicleta!
A child farts
Grandpa – Oh, wow! What was that? I think maybe a mouse passed by on a motorcycle!
Se me ponchó una llanta
Here’s another fun one!
‘Se me ponchó la llanta’ literally means ‘I’ve got a flat tire’, and obviously alludes to the sound made by a flat tire as it deflates.
Of course, intonation and context are everything, so if you say this one with a straight face when in a car park, people are probably going to try to help you with that flat tire …
Sara – ¿Qué pasó? ¿Por qué esa cara de angustia?
María – Es que…se me ponchó una llanta, amiga. ¡Jeje!
Sara – What’s wrong? Why the long face?
María – It’s just that … I´ve got a flat tire (I farted). Hehe!
Final thoughts
Hopefully you now have a few useful ways to say ‘fart’ up your sleeve and are ready to face any fart-related situation that comes (or “blows“) your way.
Whether you have a doctor’s appointment for that uncomfortable feeling in the stomach or just want to make children laugh, these expressions will help you nail the conversation and sound like a true native.
Oh, and definitely check out our article on all the different ways to say ‘fat‘ in Spanish if you’re still in the mood for Spanish vocab.
¡Hasta pronto!
