How to Say "gangster" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “gangster” is “gángster” — use 'gángster' when referring to a member of any organized criminal group, especially in a general or cinematic context, without necessarily implying a specific type of organization like the Mafia..
gángster
/GAHNG-stair//ˈɡaŋɡsteɾ/
Examples
Ese actor siempre interpreta el papel de un gángster.
That actor always plays the role of a gangster.
La policía arrestó al gángster más buscado de la ciudad.
The police arrested the city's most wanted gangster.
Muchos gángsters operaban en Chicago durante la Ley Seca.
Many gangsters operated in Chicago during Prohibition.
Why the accent?
Spanish puts an accent on 'gángster' because words ending in 'r' usually sound stronger at the end. The accent tells you to keep the emphasis on the 'a' instead.
Making it plural
To talk about more than one, we usually add '-es' in Spanish. While some people just add an 's', the official way is 'gánsteres' (and notice the first 'g' before the 's' often disappears in that form!).
The Missing Accent
Mistake: “El gangster vive aquí.”
Correction: El gángster vive aquí. (Always include the accent mark to follow Spanish spelling rules for borrowed words.)
Gender confusion
Mistake: “La gángster”
Correction: El gángster. (Even though women can be gangsters, the word is traditionally masculine. To refer to a woman, you still say 'el gángster' or 'la mujer gángster'.)
mafioso
/ma-fee-OH-so//maˈfjo.so/
Examples
La policía capturó al mafioso ayer.
The police caught the mobster yesterday.
Muchos mafiosos viven en casas lujosas.
Many mobsters live in luxurious houses.
El mafioso se negó a hablar con el juez.
The mobster refused to talk to the judge.
Ending in 'o'
This word usually ends in 'o' when talking about a man. If you are talking about a woman in the same role, change the 'o' to an 'a' (mafiosa).
Adding 's' for more than one
To talk about a group of mobsters, simply add an 's' to the end: 'los mafiosos'.
Confusing the Person with the Group
Mistake: “Él es la mafia.”
Correction: Él es un mafioso.
Gángster vs. Mafioso
Related Translations
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