ovni
“ovni” means “UFO” in Spanish (unidentified flying object).
UFO
Also: flying saucer
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Vi un ovni en el cielo anoche.
A1I saw a UFO in the sky last night.
Mucha gente cree que los ovnis son naves espaciales.
A2Many people believe that UFOs are spaceships.
El gobierno investigó el avistamiento de un ovni cerca de la base.
B1The government investigated a UFO sighting near the base.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ovni
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the correct plural form of 'ovni'?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
An acronym of the phrase 'Objeto Volador No Identificado' (Unidentified Flying Object). It followed the same path as the English 'UFO' but became a standard lowercase word in Spanish faster than its English counterpart.
First recorded: 20th century (approx. 1950s)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I write it in all caps like OVNI?
In modern Spanish, it is more common to write it in lowercase ('ovni') because it is considered a regular noun now, though 'OVNI' is still acceptable in formal contexts.
Does 'ovni' always mean aliens?
Technically, no. Just like 'UFO' in English, it just means something in the sky that hasn't been identified yet, though most people use it to refer to alien spaceships.
Is the 'i' at the end stressed?
No, the stress is on the first syllable: OH-bnee.