nacido
/na-SEE-doh/
born
As an adjective, 'nacido' means born, describing the status or origin.
nacido(Adjective)
born
?origin/birth status
native
?referring to a birthplace
,newborn
?used in the common phrase 'recién nacido'
📝 In Action
Mi abuelo era un hombre nacido en el campo.
A1My grandfather was a man born in the countryside.
La recién nacida está durmiendo tranquilamente.
A2The newborn (girl) is sleeping peacefully.
Los problemas nacidos de la crisis son evidentes.
B1The problems arising from the crisis are evident.
💡 Grammar Points
Agreement is Key
As an adjective, 'nacido' must match the thing it describes in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): 'nacida' (f. singular), 'nacidos' (m. plural), etc.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Accent on 'Recién'
Mistake: "Muchos padres quieren ver a su recien nacido."
Correction: The adverb 'recién' (recently) must carry an accent when it comes before the past participle: 'recién nacido'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Location, Location, Location
Always use 'nacido' with the preposition 'en' (in) when stating a place of birth: 'Nacido en Madrid' (Born in Madrid).
As a past participle, 'nacido' means been born, often used with 'haber' to form perfect tenses.
nacido(Verb (Past Participle))
been born
?used with 'haber' to form perfect tenses
arisen
?figurative use of 'nacer'
📝 In Action
Todavía no ha nacido el bebé.
A2The baby has not been born yet.
Cuando llegamos, la idea ya había nacido.
B1When we arrived, the idea had already arisen.
Es la primera persona que ha nacido en la luna, si es que eso pasa algún día.
C1She is the first person who will have been born on the moon, if that ever happens.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
'Nacido' is the key ingredient needed to create perfect tenses. You combine the verb 'haber' (to have) with 'nacido': 'Yo he nacido' (I have been born).
No Gender Change with 'Haber'
When 'nacido' follows the helper verb 'haber' (like 'ha nacido'), the form never changes. It stays 'nacido' regardless of whether the subject is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Verbal and Adjectival Use
Mistake: "Ellas han nacidas en Chile. (Incorrect agreement with 'haber'.)"
Correction: When using 'haber', the participle is always masculine singular: 'Ellas han nacido en Chile.' (They have been born in Chile.)
⭐ Usage Tips
The Meaning of 'Nacer'
Remember that 'nacer' is almost always translated using the passive voice in English ('to be born'), which helps explain why it uses the past participle form.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: nacido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'nacido' as part of a compound tense?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'nacido' used with 'haber' (to have) when the English translation uses 'to be' ('has been born')?
This is a key difference between Spanish and English. In Spanish, verbs of movement or change of state, like 'nacer' (to be born), use 'haber' to form their perfect tenses, not 'ser' or 'estar'. You are essentially saying 'She *has* brought the state of being born into existence.'