naciones
“naciones” means “nations” in Spanish (sovereign political entities).
nations
Also: countries, states
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Las naciones del mundo deben cooperar en este tema.
B1The nations of the world must cooperate on this issue.
Viajar entre naciones requiere un pasaporte.
A2Traveling between nations requires a passport.
Históricamente, muchas naciones han tenido conflictos territoriales.
B2Historically, many nations have had territorial conflicts.
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Quick Quiz: naciones
Question 1 of 2
Which word is the singular form of 'naciones'?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word *natio*, which originally meant 'birth,' 'race,' or 'a people.' Over time, its meaning shifted to refer to a large group of people sharing a common identity and territory.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'nación' (singular) spelled with an accent mark, but 'naciones' (plural) is not?
In Spanish, the accent mark tells you where to stress the word. 'Nación' needs the accent because the stress falls on the last syllable, which is unusual for words ending in 'n'. When you add '-es' to make it plural ('naciones'), the stress naturally moves to the second-to-last syllable, following the normal Spanish pronunciation rules, so the accent mark is no longer needed.
When should I use 'naciones' instead of 'países'?
'Países' (countries) focuses more on the geographical territory. 'Naciones' focuses more on the political, cultural, or historical identity of the group of people. In most everyday situations, you can use 'países,' but 'naciones' is preferred in formal political or diplomatic contexts (like 'Naciones Unidas').