How to Say "beggar" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “beggar” is “mendigo” — A2 level.
Examples
El mendigo estaba sentado frente a la iglesia.
The beggar was sitting in front of the church.
Siempre le doy una moneda al mendigo que veo en el metro.
I always give a coin to the beggar I see in the subway.
La novela cuenta la historia de un príncipe y un mendigo.
The novel tells the story of a prince and a beggar.
Masculine vs. Feminine
This word ends in 'o' and is used for men. To talk about a woman, you change the ending to 'a' to make 'mendiga'.
Where to put the stress
Make sure to emphasize the middle part: men-DEE-go. If you emphasize the last part (men-dee-GO), it becomes a past-tense verb meaning 'he/she begged'.
Watch the accent mark!
Mistake: “Using 'mendigó' when you mean 'the beggar'.”
Correction: Use 'mendigo' (no accent) for the person. 'Mendigó' with an accent is the past action 'he begged'.
Related Translations
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