soldado
“soldado” means “soldier” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
soldier
Also: private
📝 In Action
Mi tío es un soldado que sirve en la armada.
A2My uncle is a soldier who serves in the navy.
Vimos una estatua del soldado desconocido en la plaza central.
B1We saw a statue of the unknown soldier in the central square.
soldered
Also: welded
📝 In Action
El tubo de cobre estaba bien soldado y no perdía agua.
B1The copper pipe was well soldered and wasn't leaking water.
La conexión electrónica estaba soldada con precisión.
B2The electronic connection was soldered with precision.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: soldado
Question 1 of 1
¿Cuál es el significado de 'soldado' en la siguiente frase: 'El cable está soldado a la placa base'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'soldado' comes from the Medieval Latin term *solidatus*, which originally meant 'someone paid,' referring to the gold coin known as the *solidus* used as payment. This history explains why both 'soldier' (paid professional) and 'solder'/'weld' (making something solid/firm) share the same root in Spanish.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use 'soldado' to refer to a female soldier?
Yes. It is very common and completely correct to say 'la soldado' when talking about a woman who serves in the military. You do not need to change the word ending to '-a' in this case, though 'la soldada' exists in some regions.
How is the noun 'soldado' different from the verb 'soldar'?
'Soldado' (the noun) is a person who serves in the army. 'Soldar' is the action verb, meaning 'to join things together using heat and metal' (like welding or soldering). They sound similar and are related, but they describe very different things.