protegido
“protegido” means “protected” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
protected
Also: sheltered, guarded
📝 In Action
El área de anidación está protegida por una valla.
A2The nesting area is protected by a fence.
Ella se siente protegida cuando está cerca de su familia.
B1She feels safe (protected) when she is near her family.
Los documentos estaban bien protegidos en la caja fuerte.
B2The documents were well protected in the safe.
protégé
Also: ward, favorite
📝 In Action
El joven artista era el protegido de la famosa escultora.
B1The young artist was the protégé of the famous sculptress.
El director siempre defendía a su protegido en las reuniones.
C1The director always defended his ward (or protégé) in the meetings.
protected
📝 In Action
Hemos protegido a los animales durante años.
A1We have protected the animals for years.
¿Quién había protegido tu secreto?
B2Who had protected your secret?
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: protegido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'protegido' as a noun (referring to a person)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Protegido' comes directly from the Latin verb *prōtegere*, meaning 'to cover in front' or 'to shield'. It has maintained its core meaning of keeping something safe from harm throughout its history.
First recorded: 13th century (in Spanish)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'protegido' and 'protección'?
'Protegido' describes something that has received safety (e.g., 'the protected animal'). 'Protección' is the act or state of safety itself (e.g., 'The protection is strong').
Why does 'protegido' sometimes stay the same and sometimes change (protegida, protegidos)?
It changes when it acts as an adjective (describing a noun, like 'the protected house'), but it stays the same when it is used with the verb 'haber' to form compound tenses (like 'ha protegido').