inglés
“inglés” means “English” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
English
Also: British
📝 In Action
Mi mejor amiga tiene un perro salchicha inglés.
A1My best friend has an English dachshund.
Compramos té inglés para la merienda.
A1We bought English tea for the afternoon snack.
La bandera inglesa es blanca con una cruz roja.
A2The English flag is white with a red cross. (Note the feminine form 'inglesa' for 'bandera'.)
English
📝 In Action
¿Hablas inglés o solo español?
A1Do you speak English or only Spanish?
Estudiar inglés es crucial para mi trabajo.
A1Studying English is crucial for my job.
El inglés es un idioma global.
A2English is a global language.
Englishman, English person
📝 In Action
El inglés que conocí en el viaje era muy simpático.
A2The Englishman I met on the trip was very nice.
Hay varios ingleses viviendo en esta zona de la ciudad.
B1There are several English people living in this area of the city.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: inglés
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'inglés' to refer to the language?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'inglés' comes from the medieval Latin term *anglicēnsis*, meaning 'pertaining to the Angles' (a Germanic tribe that settled in Great Britain). It shares its root with 'England' itself, which means 'Land of the Angles'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'inglés' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'é' is there to follow Spanish spelling rules. Because the word ends in 's', the stress should naturally fall on the second-to-last syllable, but since it falls on the last syllable, the accent mark is necessary to guide the reader to pronounce it as 'een-GLESS'.
When should I use 'británico' instead of 'inglés'?
'Británico' refers to the United Kingdom as a whole (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). 'Inglés' specifically refers only to England. If you want to be precise about a person from Scotland, you should say 'escocés', but if you are just talking about the language, 'inglés' is always correct.