How to Say "provincial" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “provincial” is “provincial” — use this when referring to something officially related to a province or its government, like administration or infrastructure..
provincial
/pro-been-SYAL//pɾoβinˈθjal/
Examples
El gobierno provincial está arreglando las carreteras.
The provincial government is fixing the roads.
Ella trabaja en la oficina provincial de correos.
She works in the provincial post office.
Muchas leyes provinciales son diferentes a las nacionales.
Many provincial laws are different from the national ones.
Tiene una mentalidad un poco provincial.
He has a bit of a small-town mentality.
Adjective Position
In Spanish, 'provincial' usually comes after the noun it describes, like 'gobierno provincial' (government provincial).
One Form for Both Genders
This word doesn't change for men or women; you say 'un mapa provincial' (masculine) and 'una ley provincial' (feminine).
Describing Attitudes
When used for attitudes, it functions just like in English to suggest someone lacks worldly experience.
The Plural Form
Mistake: “las leyes provincials”
Correction: las leyes provinciales (because words ending in 'l' need 'es' to become plural).
Being Too Direct
Mistake: “calling a friend 'provincial'”
Correction: Be careful! In this context, the word can be a bit insulting as it implies they are unrefined.
provincial
Examples
Tiene una mentalidad un poco provincial.
He has a bit of a small-town mentality.
colonial
/koh-loh-NYAHL//koloˈnjal/
Examples
Visitamos el centro colonial de la ciudad.
We visited the city's colonial center.
Este mueble tiene un estilo colonial muy elegante.
This piece of furniture has a very elegant colonial style.
Muchos países lucharon por su independencia del régimen colonial.
Many countries fought for their independence from colonial rule.
One Form for All
This word is the same for both masculine and feminine items. You don't need to change the ending to 'a' when describing a feminine noun.
Placement Matters
In Spanish, you almost always put 'colonial' after the object you are describing, such as 'la casa colonial' instead of 'the colonial house'.
The 'Coloniala' Error
Mistake: “La casa coloniala.”
Correction: La casa colonial. Adjectives ending in -l usually don't change their ending for gender.
Provincial vs. Colonial Style
Related Translations
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