How to Say "resident" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “resident” is “residente” — use this word for someone who officially lives in a particular place, like a city, building, or country, or for a doctor undergoing specialized training in a hospital..
residente
/reh-see-DEHN-teh//resiˈðente/
Examples
Soy residente de este edificio.
I am a resident of this building.
Los residentes del barrio están felices.
The residents of the neighborhood are happy.
El médico residente trabaja muchas horas.
The medical resident works many hours.
La población residente ha crecido.
The resident population has grown.
One word for everyone
This word doesn't change its ending for men or women. You just change the word 'the' in front: 'el residente' for a man and 'la residente' for a woman.
Adjective placement
Like most adjectives in Spanish, put 'residente' after the noun it describes.
Avoid 'residenta'
Mistake: “Calling a woman 'la residenta'.”
Correction: Use 'la residente'. While 'residenta' exists in some old dictionaries, 'la residente' is the natural, modern way to say it.
residente
/reh-see-DEHN-teh//resiˈðente/
Examples
El médico residente trabaja muchas horas.
The medical resident works many hours.
Soy residente de este edificio.
I am a resident of this building.
Los residentes del barrio están felices.
The residents of the neighborhood are happy.
La población residente ha crecido.
The resident population has grown.
One word for everyone
This word doesn't change its ending for men or women. You just change the word 'the' in front: 'el residente' for a man and 'la residente' for a woman.
Adjective placement
Like most adjectives in Spanish, put 'residente' after the noun it describes.
Avoid 'residenta'
Mistake: “Calling a woman 'la residenta'.”
Correction: Use 'la residente'. While 'residenta' exists in some old dictionaries, 'la residente' is the natural, modern way to say it.
residente
/reh-see-DEHN-teh//resiˈðente/
Examples
La población residente ha crecido.
The resident population has grown.
Soy residente de este edificio.
I am a resident of this building.
Los residentes del barrio están felices.
The residents of the neighborhood are happy.
El médico residente trabaja muchas horas.
The medical resident works many hours.
One word for everyone
This word doesn't change its ending for men or women. You just change the word 'the' in front: 'el residente' for a man and 'la residente' for a woman.
Adjective placement
Like most adjectives in Spanish, put 'residente' after the noun it describes.
Avoid 'residenta'
Mistake: “Calling a woman 'la residenta'.”
Correction: Use 'la residente'. While 'residenta' exists in some old dictionaries, 'la residente' is the natural, modern way to say it.
local
lo-CAL/loˈkal/
Examples
Pregúntale a un local, seguro que conoce el camino más corto.
Ask a local, surely they know the shortest way.
Las locales siempre saben dónde comprar mejor.
The local women/residents always know where to shop best.
Used Like an Adjective
This noun is formed by using the adjective (Definition 1) alone. You can say 'el local' (the male local) or 'la local' (the female local), but remember the adjective form never changes its ending to -a.
vecino
veh-SEE-noh/beˈθino/
Examples
Mi vecino me ayudó a cargar las cajas.
My neighbor helped me carry the boxes.
Los vecinos se quejaron por el ruido de la fiesta.
The neighbors complained about the party noise.
Todos los vecinos del barrio asistieron a la reunión municipal.
All the residents of the neighborhood attended the municipal meeting.
Gender Match
Since this is a noun referring to a person, it changes form depending on the person's gender: 'vecino' (male) and 'vecina' (female).
Confusing Noun and Location
Mistake: “Usar 'vecindario' para hablar de una persona. (e.g., 'Mi vecindario es amable.')”
Correction: Use 'vecino' or 'vecina' for the person. 'Vecindario' means the place (neighborhood). Say: 'Mi vecino es amable.'
interno
een-TEHR-noh/inˈteɾno/
Examples
El interno de cirugía trabaja 60 horas a la semana.
The surgical intern (or resident) works 60 hours a week.
Todos los internos del colegio deben seguir las reglas estrictamente.
All the boarders at the school must follow the rules strictly.
Mañana le preguntaré al interno sobre mis resultados.
Tomorrow I will ask the resident about my results.
Using the Feminine Form
When referring to a female person who is an intern or resident, the word changes to 'la interna'.
Confusing 'Interno' with 'Becario'
Mistake: “Using 'interno' for a general office intern or trainee who doesn't live at the workplace.”
Correction: For standard office trainees or unpaid apprenticeships, 'becario' or 'pasante' is usually better. 'Interno' often implies living within the institution (like a hospital or boarding school).
Resident vs. Neighbor vs. Local
Related Translations
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