A small, fluffy baby bird sitting comfortably in a round straw nest nestled among green leaves on a tree branch.

natal

nah-TAHL

adjectivem or fB1

native?referring to a place of birth,home?used with 'city' or 'country'

Also:birth-?as in 'birth city' or 'birthplace'

📝 In Action

Ella siempre extraña su ciudad natal.

She always misses her hometown.

Regresó a su suelo natal después de diez años.

He returned to his native land after ten years.

El español es su lengua natal.

Spanish is his native language.

Word Connections

Synonyms

materno (maternal/native)
originario (originating from)

Antonyms

extranjero (foreign)

Common Collocations

ciudad natal – hometown
país natal – native country
lengua natal – native language

💡 Grammar Points

One Form for All

This word stays the same whether you are describing a masculine thing (un país natal) or a feminine thing (una ciudad natal). It doesn't change its ending for gender.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Natal vs. Nativo

Mistake: "Using 'natal' to describe a person."

Correction: Use 'nativo' for people ('él es nativo de aquí') and 'natal' for places or things related to birth ('su ciudad natal').

⭐ Usage Tips

Natural Phrasing

While 'hometown' is one word in English, Spanish uses two: 'ciudad natal'. Use this whenever you want to sound more specific than just saying 'mi ciudad'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: natal

Question 1 of 1

How would you say 'My hometown' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

nacer(to be born) - verb

nacimiento(birth) - noun

nativo(native) - adjective

Navidad(Christmas) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'natal' to describe a person?

No, 'natal' is used for places (like a city or country) or concepts (like language or land) related to someone's birth. To describe a person, use 'nativo'.

Is 'natal' formal?

It is neutral. It is perfectly fine to use in everyday conversation, though it sounds a bit more polished than just saying 'donde nací' (where I was born).