protege
“protege” means “protégé” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
protégé, mentee
Also: disciple
📝 In Action
El joven artista es el protege del famoso pintor.
B2The young artist is the protégé of the famous painter.
Ella fue su protege durante la última década.
C1She was his protégé during the last decade.
protects, protect
Also: defends
📝 In Action
Ella protege a su familia de todo peligro.
A1She protects her family from all danger.
¡Protege tu cabeza!
A2Protect your head!
El gobierno protege las especies en peligro de extinción.
B1The government protects endangered species.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: protege
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'protege' as a noun?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'protege' has two separate origins in Spanish. The verb form comes directly from the Latin *protegere*, meaning 'to cover in front of' or 'to shield'. The noun 'protege' is a direct borrowing from the French word *protégé* (masculine) or *protégée* (feminine), which means 'protected person'.
First recorded: The verb form has been used since the Middle Ages. The noun form was adopted much later, reflecting its status as a modern loanword.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if 'protege' is the noun or the verb?
Look at the words around it! If 'protege' is preceded by a person (like 'él' or 'ella') or a subject (like 'el perro' or 'la ley'), it's likely the verb meaning 'protects'. If it is preceded by an article ('el' or 'la') or a possessive ('su', 'mi'), it is probably the noun meaning 'mentee'.
Is the verb 'proteger' regular?
It is mostly regular, but it has a key spelling change: the 'g' changes to a 'j' whenever it is followed by the letters 'a' or 'o' to maintain the soft 'h' sound (like in 'yo protejo' and all present subjunctive forms).