reina
“reina” means “queen” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
queen
Also: queen, queen, queen
📝 In Action
La reina de España saludó a la multitud.
A1The queen of Spain waved to the crowd.
En ajedrez, si pierdes la reina, es difícil ganar.
B1In chess, if you lose the queen, it's difficult to win.
Fue elegida la reina del carnaval.
B1She was chosen as the queen of the carnival.
La abeja reina puede poner miles de huevos al día.
B2The queen bee can lay thousands of eggs a day.
he/she reigns, it reigns
Also: prevails, predominates
📝 In Action
En su ausencia, el caos reina en la oficina.
B1In his absence, chaos reigns in the office.
El silencio reina en el antiguo castillo.
B1Silence reigns in the old castle.
Actualmente, reina una nueva dinastía en ese país.
C1Currently, a new dynasty reigns in that country.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: reina
Question 1 of 1
In the sentence 'En el jardín, la tranquilidad reina', what does 'reina' mean?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'rēgīna', which also meant 'queen'. It's built from the same root as 'rex' (king), which gave Spanish 'rey'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'reina' means 'queen' or 'reigns'?
Look at the words around it! If you see 'la' before it ('la reina'), it's almost always the noun 'the queen'. If an idea or a concept is doing the action (like 'el silencio reina'), then it's the verb 'it reigns'.
Can I use 'reina' to talk to a friend?
Yes, absolutely! In many Spanish-speaking countries, it's a common and affectionate way to address a female friend, similar to calling someone 'honey' or 'sweetie' in English. For example, 'Hola, reina, ¿cómo estás?'