Inklingo

How to Say "british" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “british” is “británico” — use 'británico' (or its feminine/plural forms) when referring to something specifically related to Great Britain or the United Kingdom, especially when a general term is needed.

English → Spanish

británico

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'británico' (or its feminine/plural forms) when referring to something specifically related to Great Britain or the United Kingdom, especially when a general term is needed.

Examples

La bandera británica es muy famosa.

The British flag is very famous.

inglés

AdjectiveA1General/Informal
Use 'inglés' (or its feminine/plural forms) when referring to things from England specifically, or often interchangeably with 'británico' in casual conversation, especially for things like food or culture.

Examples

Mi mejor amiga tiene un perro salchicha inglés.

My best friend has an English dachshund.

ingleses

een-GLEH-sehsinˈgleses

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'ingleses' as the plural form of 'inglés' when referring to multiple items or people associated with England or, in a broader sense, Britain.
A high quality storybook illustration showing three iconic bright red double-decker buses parked side-by-side on a simple street.

Examples

Ellos leyeron varios libros ingleses durante el verano.

They read several English books during the summer.

Necesitamos traductores para los documentos ingleses.

We need translators for the English documents.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'ingleses' must agree in gender (masculine) and number (plural) with the noun it describes. For feminine plural nouns, use 'inglesas' (e.g., 'revistas inglesas').

Word Order

Mistake: “Placing the adjective before the noun unnecessarily: 'ingleses libros'.”

Correction: Nationalities usually go AFTER the noun they describe: 'libros ingleses'.

inglesa

een-GLEH-sahinˈɡlesa

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'inglesa' as the feminine singular form of 'inglés' when modifying a feminine noun related to England or, broadly, Britain.
A simple white teapot decorated with the red, white, and blue Union Jack flag design, sitting on a plain surface.

Examples

La taza inglesa de té se rompió.

The English teacup broke.

Esta es la versión inglesa de la canción.

This is the English version of the song.

Me encanta la literatura inglesa clásica.

I love classic English literature.

Gender Agreement

Since 'inglesa' ends in -a, it is the feminine form. You must use it only when describing feminine words (like 'casa' or 'mesa').

Ignoring Gender

Mistake: “La coche inglés. (Incorrect: 'coche' is masculine)”

Correction: El coche inglés. (The word for 'car' is masculine, so the adjective must be 'inglés'.)

Británico vs. Inglés

The most common mistake is overusing 'inglés' (English) when 'británico' (British) is more accurate, especially when referring to the UK as a whole rather than just England. While 'inglés' is often used casually, 'británico' is the more precise term for the broader United Kingdom.

Related Translations

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