Inklingo

How to Say "tenant farmer" in Spanish

English → Spanish

colono

/ko-LO-no//koˈlono/

nounC1general
Use 'colono' when referring to a tenant farmer in a general sense, particularly in modern contexts, or when the focus is on the agricultural work and rent paid to the landowner.
A farmer wearing a straw hat tending to rows of crops in a large field.

Examples

El colono trabajaba la tierra ajena a cambio de una parte de la cosecha.

The tenant farmer worked the land belonging to others in exchange for a share of the harvest.

El colono entregaba la mitad de su cosecha al dueño de la finca.

The tenant farmer gave half of his harvest to the farm owner.

Históricamente, el sistema de colonos era muy común en el campo.

Historically, the tenant farmer system was very common in the countryside.

Las leyes protegían el derecho del colono a cultivar la tierra.

The laws protected the tenant farmer's right to cultivate the land.

Specific Usage

This meaning is almost always used in historical or legal contexts regarding land ownership.

Thinking it means 'farmer' in general

Mistake: “Mi abuelo es un colono.”

Correction: Mi abuelo es granjero (or campesino).

pongo

PO-ngoh/ˈpoŋ.ɡo/

nounB2historical, regional (Andes)
Use 'pongo' specifically when referring to the historical Andean system of unpaid labor or servitude owed by an indigenous person to a landowner in exchange for the right to farm a small plot of land.
An indigenous Andean person wearing a colorful poncho and carrying a small woven basket on their back, standing against a mountain landscape.

Examples

El sistema del pongo era una forma de servidumbre en las antiguas haciendas.

The pongo system was a form of servitude on old estates.

En las haciendas antiguas, el pongo debía servir a la familia del hacendado.

In the old estates, the pongo had to serve the landowner's family.

General vs. Specific Context

Learners often confuse 'colono' and 'pongo' by using 'pongo' outside of its specific historical and regional Andean context. Remember that 'colono' is the general term for a tenant farmer, while 'pongo' refers to a very particular labor system.

Related Translations

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