romance
“romance” means “romance” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
romance, love affair
Also: relationship
📝 In Action
Su romance con el actor fue breve pero intenso.
B1Her romance with the actor was brief but intense.
Me encanta leer novelas de romance histórico.
A2I love reading historical romance novels.
Querían mantener su romance en secreto para evitar a la prensa.
B2They wanted to keep their relationship secret to avoid the press.
Romance language
Also: language family
📝 In Action
El francés y el italiano son lenguas de romance.
C1French and Italian are Romance languages.
El latín vulgar es el origen común de las lenguas de romance.
C2Vulgar Latin is the common origin of the Romance languages.
ballad
Also: romance (poetry)
📝 In Action
Analizamos un romance anónimo del siglo XV en clase.
C2We analyzed an anonymous ballad from the 15th century in class.
El romance es una composición poética de versos octosílabos.
C2The ballad is a poetic composition of eight-syllable verses.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "romance" in Spanish:
ballad→language family→love affair→relationship→romance→romance language→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: romance
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'romance' in its most common, everyday meaning?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Old French term 'romanz', which meant 'a story written in the vernacular language' (the common, spoken language, as opposed to Latin). This term itself evolved from the Latin phrase 'romanice loqui' (to speak in the Roman way), which is why Spanish and other languages derived from Latin are called 'Romance languages'.
First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish, referring to the language and literature.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'romance' the same as 'amor'?
Not exactly. 'Amor' (love) is the general feeling. 'Romance' specifically refers to the relationship or love affair itself, often implying a narrative or a period of time (like 'a summer romance').
If I want to say something is 'romantic', do I use 'romance'?
No, you should use the adjective 'romántico/a'. For example, 'una cena romántica' (a romantic dinner). 'Romance' is the noun (the relationship or the literary form).