san
“san” means “Saint” in Spanish (title for a holy person, e.g., 'Saint Peter').
Saint
Also: St.
📝 In Action
La capital de Puerto Rico es San Juan.
A2The capital of Puerto Rico is Saint John.
Mi perro se llama San Francisco, o Pancho para abreviar.
B1My dog is named Saint Francis, or Pancho for short.
El desfile del Día de San Patricio es muy popular.
B1The Saint Patrick's Day parade is very popular.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: san
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'sanctus,' which means 'holy' or 'sacred.' 'San' is a shortened version of 'santo' that became popular to use before names.
First recorded: Used since the early days of Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'san' and 'santo'?
'San' is the short form of 'santo' used right before the name of a male saint (like San Juan). You use the full word 'santo' when you're just talking about 'a saint' in general, or for saints whose names start with 'To-' or 'Do-' (like Santo Tomás).
Is there a version for female saints?
Yes! For female saints, you always use 'santa', like in 'Santa María' or 'Santa Lucía'. 'Santa' never gets shortened.