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How to Say "lineage" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sangre

/SAHN-greh//ˈsanɡɾe/

NounB2General
Use 'sangre' when referring to inherited qualities or a deep, almost innate connection to a particular talent or characteristic passed down through family members.
Three figures representing three generations—a grandmother, a mother, and a child—standing together, sharing a distinct feature (like hair color) to illustrate a family lineage or ancestry.

Examples

Tiene la habilidad para los negocios en la sangre, como su padre.

He has a business acumen in his blood, like his father.

Lleva la música en la sangre; toda su familia es de artistas.

He has music in his blood; his whole family are artists.

Es un caballo de pura sangre.

It's a pure-blood / thoroughbred horse.

Aunque nació en Canadá, tiene sangre colombiana.

Even though he was born in Canada, he has Colombian blood (heritage).

raza

RAH-sahˈraθa

NounC1General/Formal
Use 'raza' to describe the quality, stock, or background of something, often referring to animals, plants, or even abstract concepts like the origin of a fine product, implying excellence derived from its origins.
A simple storybook illustration showing three stylized figures of descending size, representing a grandparent, parent, and child, connected by a stylized root structure at their base, symbolizing lineage.

Examples

Este caballo es de pura raza, con un linaje de campeones.

This horse is of pure breed, with a lineage of champions.

Ese vino tiene una raza excelente; es de la mejor cosecha.

That wine has an excellent quality/character; it's from the best harvest.

Demostró la raza de un verdadero campeón al no rendirse.

He showed the mettle (lineage/quality) of a true champion by not giving up.

Confusing 'sangre' and 'raza' for lineage

Learners often confuse 'sangre' and 'raza' because both relate to ancestry. Remember that 'sangre' focuses on inherited traits and characteristics within people, while 'raza' emphasizes the quality or stock of origin, more common for animals or products.

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