gallego
“gallego” means “Galician” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
Galician
Also: from Galicia
📝 In Action
Me encanta el pulpo gallego.
A1I love Galician-style octopus.
Ella tiene una casa en un pueblo gallego.
A2She has a house in a Galician village.
La costa gallega es famosa por sus acantilados.
B1The Galician coast is famous for its cliffs.
Galician
Also: Galician man
📝 In Action
El gallego es un idioma muy bonito.
A2Galician is a very beautiful language.
Hablo un poco de gallego.
B1I speak a little Galician.
Ese señor es un gallego que vive en Madrid.
B1That gentleman is a Galician man living in Madrid.
Spaniard
📝 In Action
En Argentina, a los españoles les decimos gallegos.
B1In Argentina, we call Spaniards 'gallegos'.
Mi abuelo era gallego, vino de Madrid en 1950.
B2My grandfather was Spanish (gallego), he came from Madrid in 1950.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: gallego
Question 1 of 3
If you are in Argentina and someone calls you a 'gallego,' what do they likely mean?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'Gallaecus,' which was the name for the ancient Celtic tribes (the Gallaeci) who lived in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the word 'gallego' offensive?
In Spain, it is a neutral term for someone from Galicia. In Latin America, it is generally used affectionately or neutrally for Spaniards, though like any nickname, context and tone matter.
How do I know if someone means the language or the person?
Context is key! If you say 'Hablo gallego,' you mean the language. If you say 'Soy gallego,' you mean you are from there.
Should I capitalize 'gallego' when writing?
No. In Spanish, adjectives of origin and names of languages are written in lowercase (unless they start a sentence).