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How to Say "romance" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “romance” is “romance” — use this word when referring to a love affair, a romantic relationship, or the feeling of love and excitement associated with it.

English → Spanish

romance

roh-MAHN-sehroˈmanθe

nounB1informal
Use this word when referring to a love affair, a romantic relationship, or the feeling of love and excitement associated with it.
A simple illustration of two figures holding hands, silhouetted against a warm, setting sun, symbolizing a loving relationship.

Examples

Su romance con el actor fue breve pero intenso.

Her romance with the actor was brief but intense.

Me encanta leer novelas de romance histórico.

I love reading historical romance novels.

Querían mantener su romance en secreto para evitar a la prensa.

They wanted to keep their relationship secret to avoid the press.

Always Masculine

Even though 'el romance' refers to love, which can be shared by men and women, the word itself is always masculine: 'el romance'.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “La romance.”

Correction: El romance. Remember the word ends in '-ce', which often signals masculine nouns.

latino

la-TEE-nolaˈtino

adjectiveB2formal
Use this word when describing languages, cultures, or things that originate from or are related to Latin.
An ancient Roman stone archway standing under a clear blue sky.

Examples

El español es una lengua latina.

Spanish is a Latin language.

Estudiamos el alfabeto latino en la escuela.

We study the Latin alphabet at school.

Muchos términos médicos tienen raíces latinas.

Many medical terms have Latin roots.

Describing Languages

When talking about languages like Italian, French, or Spanish, we call them 'lenguas latinas' because they come from the language of Ancient Rome.

Latino vs. Latín

Mistake: “Yo estudio latino.”

Correction: Yo estudio latín. Use 'latín' (with an accent) for the actual language name, and 'latino' as a descriptor.

Romance vs. Latino

The most common mistake is using 'latino' when you mean a love affair. Remember, 'latino' describes things related to Latin (like languages), while 'romance' is specifically for romantic relationships.

Related Translations

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