rey
“rey” means “king” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
king
Also: monarch, sovereign
📝 In Action
El rey de España se llama Felipe VI.
A1The king of Spain is named Felipe VI.
La corona del rey era de oro puro.
A2The king's crown was made of pure gold.
Los Reyes Magos traen regalos a los niños el 6 de enero.
B1The Three Wise Men (literally, 'Magic Kings') bring gifts to children on January 6th.
king
📝 In Action
En ajedrez, si pierdes tu rey, pierdes el juego.
A2In chess, if you lose your king, you lose the game.
Tengo un par de reyes en mi mano.
B1I have a pair of kings in my hand.
king
Also: master, mogul
📝 In Action
Michael Jordan es el rey del baloncesto.
B1Michael Jordan is the king of basketball.
Mi abuelo es el rey de la paella; nadie la hace mejor.
B2My grandfather is the king of paella; nobody makes it better.
Ese niño es el rey de la casa, todos hacen lo que él quiere.
B2That kid is the king of the house, everyone does what he wants.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: rey
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'rey' in a figurative way, to mean 'the best at something'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'rex', which meant 'king' or 'ruler'. This Latin root is why so many European languages have similar words for king, like 'roi' in French and 're' in Italian.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'los reyes' used for 'the king and queen'?
In Spanish, when you have a group of mixed-gender nouns, you use the masculine plural form. So, 'un rey' (a king) plus 'una reina' (a queen) becomes 'los reyes'. It works the same way for 'padres' (parents, or just fathers) and 'hijos' (children, or just sons).
Do I always capitalize 'rey'?
No, usually it's lowercase, like any other common noun (e.g., 'el rey es rico'). You only capitalize it when it's used like a name in a formal title, such as 'el Rey Felipe VI' or when referring to the current monarch without their name, 'el Rey dará un discurso'.