Español
Spanish
Romance
Also known as: Spanish, Castilian, Castellano, Español
European Spanish (Castilian) is the variety of Spanish spoken in Spain by ~47M people, the historical source of all Spanish varieties. Distinguished by retention of /θ/ for written z/c (distinción, vs. seseo in Latin America), use of vosotros (2nd-person plural informal — absent in Latin America), and yeísmo merger of ll/y. Standardized by the Real Academia Española (RAE, est. 1713) which co-publishes the Diccionario de la lengua española. Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605/1615) is the canonical literary anchor.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Spanish
Water
agua
/ˈaɣwa/
Fire
fuego
/ˈfweɣo/
Sun
sol
/sol/
Moon
luna
/ˈluna/
Star
estrella
/esˈtɾeʎa/
Mother
madre
/ˈmaðɾe/
Father
padre
/ˈpaðɾe/
I
yo
/ʝo/
You
tú
/tu/
Name
nombre
/ˈnombɾe/
Eye
ojo
/ˈoxo/
Hand
mano
/ˈmano/
Heart
corazón
/koɾaˈθon/
Love
amor
/aˈmoɾ/
Tree
árbol
/ˈaɾβol/
House
casa
/ˈkasa/
Dog
perro
/ˈpero/
Cat
gato
/ˈɡato/
Eat
comer
/koˈmeɾ/
Drink
beber
/beˈβeɾ/
One
uno
/ˈuno/
Two
dos
/dos/
Hello
hola
/ˈola/
Thank you
gracias
/ˈɡɾaθjas/
Good
bueno
/ˈbweno/
Cuckoo
cuco
/ˈkuko/
Woof
guau guau
/ɡwau ɡwau/
Computer
ordenador
/oɾðenaˈðoɾ/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsusi/
Dopamine
dopamina
/dopaˈmina/
At sign (@)
arroba
/aˈroβa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Romance languages
| Meaning | Spanish | Paraguayan Spanish | Golden Age Spanish (Siglo de Oro) | Aragonese | Asturian | Old Spanish | Chavacano |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | augua /ˈawɡwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɡwa/ |
| Fire | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fueu /ˈfweu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɡo/ |
| Sun | sol /sol/ | sol /ˈsol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ |
| Star | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʝa/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrela /esˈtɾela/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrella /esˈtɾeja/ |
| Mother | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | madre /ˈmadɾe/ | mai /maj/ | ma /ma/ | madre /ˈmaðre/ | nana /ˈnana/ |
| Father | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | padre /ˈpadɾe/ | pai /paj/ | pa /pa/ | padre /ˈpaðre/ | tata /ˈtata/ |
| I | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /jo/ | yo /jo/ |
| You | tú /tu/ | vos /bos/ | tú /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tú /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| Name | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ |
| Eye | ojo /ˈoxo/ | ojo /ˈoxo/ | ojo /ˈoʃo/ | güello /ˈɣweʎo/ | güeyu /ˈɡweʝu/ | ojo /ˈoʒo/ | ojo /ˈoho/ |
| Hand | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ |
| Heart | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koɾaˈson/ | coraçón /koɾaˈtson/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈtson/ | corazón /koraˈson/ |
| Love | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | ama /ˈama/ |
| Tree | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbor /ˈaɾβoɾ/ | árbol /ˈaɾbol/ |
| House | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkasa/ |
| Dog | perro /ˈpero/ | perro /ˈpero/ | perro /ˈpero/ | can /kan/ | perru /ˈperu/ | can /kan/ | perro /ˈpeɾo/ |
| Cat | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ |
| Eat | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | minchar /minˈtʃaɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | come /koˈme/ |
| Drink | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beuer /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | bever /beˈveɾ/ | bebe /beˈbe/ |
| One | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | un /un/ | ún /un/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ |
| Two | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ |
| Hello | hola /ˈola/ | hola /ˈola/ | Dios os guarde /djos os ˈɡwaɾde/ | hola /ˈola/ | hola /ˈola/ | salud /saˈlud/ | buenas /ˈbwenas/ |
| Thank you | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾatsjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracies /ˈɡɾaθjes/ | mercedes /meɾˈtseðes/ | gracias /ˈɡɾasjas/ |
| Good | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bonu /ˈbonu/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ |
| Cuckoo | cuco /ˈkuko/ | piririta /piɾiˈɾita/ | cuclillo /kuˈkliʎo/ | cuculo /kuˈkulo/ | cuquiellu /kuˈkjeʎu/ | cuco /ˈkuko/ | — |
| Woof | guau guau /ɡwau ɡwau/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Computer | ordenador /oɾðenaˈðoɾ/ | — | ábaco /ˈabako/ | ordinador /oɾðinaˈðoɾ/ | ordenador /oɾðenaˈðoɾ/ | ábaco /ˈabako/ | — |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsusi/ | — | escabeche /eskaˈbetʃe/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | cecial /tseˈtsjal/ | — |
| Dopamine | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | — | — | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | — | — |
| At sign (@) | arroba /aˈroβa/ | — | arroba /aˈroβa/ | — | — | arroba /aˈroba/ | — |
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