How do you say “The birds and the bees” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is el sexo y la reproducción, which literally means “sex and reproduction”. English speakers use the birds and the bees to mean the basic facts about sex and reproduction. A plain description of the topic. It avoids a word-for-word animal reference that may not convey the intended conversation. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
el sexo y la reproducción
/el ˈsekso i la repɾoðukˈsjon/
- Literal meaning
- “sex and reproduction”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
83 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish can name the subject directly without losing the useful information. The family setting makes it clear that this is a conversation about the basics.
This paraphrase does not reproduce the English speaker’s embarrassment or humour. Keep that feeling in the rest of the sentence if it matters.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Dad felt awkward starting the birds-and-the-bees talk with us.
Spanish
A papá le daba vergüenza empezar con nosotros la charla sobre el sexo y la reproducción.
English
Our daughter asked about the birds and the bees after seeing a pregnant neighbour.
Spanish
Nuestra hija preguntó por el sexo y la reproducción después de ver a una vecina embarazada.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01