occidental
“occidental” means “western” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
western, Occidental
Also: west
📝 In Action
Las montañas se encuentran en la parte occidental del país.
B2The mountains are located in the western part of the country.
Estudiamos la historia del arte occidental en la universidad.
C1We studied the history of Western art at the university.
El viento occidental trae aire fresco desde el mar.
B2The western wind brings fresh air from the sea.
Westerner
📝 In Action
El grupo de turistas estaba compuesto por orientales y occidentales.
C1The tourist group was composed of Easterners and Westerners.
Como occidental, a veces me cuesta acostumbrarme a las costumbres locales.
C1As a Westerner, sometimes it's hard for me to get used to the local customs.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: occidental
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'occidental' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'occidentalis,' which is related to 'occidens,' meaning 'the setting' or 'the place where the sun sets.' This is how the direction West got its name.
First recorded: Mid-13th century in Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'occidental' and 'oeste'?
'Oeste' is the noun for the direction itself (like North, South, East, West). 'Occidental' is the adjective you use to describe something that belongs to or is located in that direction (like northern, southern, eastern, western). For example: 'El viento del oeste' (The wind from the west) versus 'La costa occidental' (The western coast).