Español
Spanish (Europe)
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
20 core words in Spanish (Europe)
Water
agua
/ˈaɣwa/
Fire
fuego
/ˈfweɣo/
Sun
sol
/sol/
Moon
luna
/ˈluna/
Mother
madre
/ˈmaðɾe/
Father
padre
/ˈpaðɾe/
Eat
comer
/koˈmeɾ/
Drink
beber
/beˈβeɾ/
Love
amor
/aˈmoɾ/
Heart
corazón
/koɾaˈθon/
Tree
árbol
/ˈaɾβol/
House
casa
/ˈkasa/
Dog
perro
/ˈpero/
Cat
gato
/ˈɡato/
Hand
mano
/ˈmano/
Eye
ojo
/ˈoxo/
Hello
hola
/ˈola/
Thank you
gracias
/ˈɡɾaθjas/
One
uno
/ˈuno/
Good
bueno
/ˈbweno/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Romance languages
| Meaning | Spanish (Europe) | Golden Age Spanish (Siglo de Oro) | Asturian | Old Spanish | Aragonese | Chavacano | Spanish (Mexico) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | augua /ˈawɡwa/ | agua /ˈaɡwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ |
| Fire | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fueu /ˈfweu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɡo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ |
| Sun | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Mother | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | madre /ˈmadɾe/ | ma /ma/ | madre /ˈmaðre/ | mai /maj/ | nana /ˈnana/ | madre /maðɾe/ |
| Father | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | padre /ˈpadɾe/ | pa /pa/ | padre /ˈpaðre/ | pai /paj/ | tata /ˈtata/ | padre /paðɾe/ |
| Eat | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | minchar /minˈt͡ʃaɾ/ | come /koˈme/ | comer /komeɾ/ |
| Drink | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beuer /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | bever /beˈveɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | bebe /beˈbe/ | beber /beβeɾ/ |
| Love | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | ama /ˈama/ | amor /amoɾ/ |
| Heart | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koraˈson/ | corazón /koɾason/ |
| Tree | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbor /ˈaɾβoɾ/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾbol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ |
| House | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Dog | perro /ˈpero/ | perro /ˈpero/ | perru /ˈperu/ | can /kan/ | can /kan/ | perro /ˈpeɾo/ | perro /pero/ |
| Cat | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ |
| Hand | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /mano/ |
| Eye | ojo /ˈoxo/ | ojo /ˈoʃo/ | güeyu /ˈɡweʝu/ | ojo /ˈoʒo/ | güello /ˈɣweʎo/ | ojo /ˈoho/ | ojo /oxo/ |
| Hello | hola /ˈola/ | Dios os guarde /djos os ˈɡwaɾde/ | hola /ˈola/ | salud /saˈlud/ | hola /ˈola/ | buenas /ˈbwenas/ | hola /ola/ |
| Thank you | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾat͡sjas/ | gracies /ˈɡɾaθjes/ | mercedes /meɾˈt͡seðes/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ |
| One | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | ún /un/ | uno /ˈuno/ | un /un/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /uno/ |
| Good | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bonu /ˈbonu/ | bono /ˈbono/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /bweno/ |
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