san
/sahn/
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
The Short Form of 'Santo'
'San' is just a shorter, more common way to say 'santo' (saint) right before a man's name. Think of it like 'St.' in English.
❌ Common Pitfalls
The 'To-' and 'Do-' Exception
Mistake: "La iglesia de San Tomás."
Correction: La iglesia de Santo Tomás. For names that start with 'To-' or 'Do-', you must use the full word 'santo', not the short version 'san'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Cities, Streets, and Holidays
You'll see 'San' everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world in the names of cities (San Diego), streets (Calle San Martín), and holidays (Día de San Juan).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: san
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
📚 More Resources
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.