Inklingo

How to Say "yankee" in Spanish

English → Spanish

gringo

/GREN-go//ˈɡɾiŋɡo/

nounA2informal or slang
Use 'gringo' as an informal or slang term for a person from the USA, especially when the context is casual or among friends.
A friendly man wearing a plain blue baseball cap and a camera around his neck, standing in a sunny park.

Examples

Mi profesor de inglés es gringo.

My English teacher is American.

Había muchos gringos en la playa ayer.

There were a lot of Americans on the beach yesterday.

Aunque es gringa, habla un español perfecto.

Even though she is American, she speaks perfect Spanish.

Changing for Gender

The word changes its ending based on who you are talking about: use 'gringo' for a man and 'gringa' for a woman.

Using it as a Description

Even though it is a noun, it often acts like a describing word (an adjective) to say where someone is from.

Don't assume it's always an insult

Mistake: “Thinking 'gringo' is always a bad word.”

Correction: In most contexts, it's just a nickname. It only becomes an insult if said with an angry tone or mean words.

yanqui

/yan-kee//ˈʝaŋki/

nounB1informal
Use 'yanqui' when referring to someone from the USA in a more neutral or slightly informal way, or when you want to use a direct cognate of 'Yankee'.
A friendly person wearing a classic blue denim jacket and a baseball cap, smiling in front of a white picket fence.

Examples

Había muchos yanquis en el hotel.

There were many Yankees at the hotel.

Mi primo se casó con una yanqui muy simpática.

My cousin married a very nice American girl.

Los yanquis tienen costumbres muy diferentes a las nuestras.

Americans have very different customs from ours.

Me encanta la comida yanqui.

I love American food.

One word for both genders

The word stays exactly the same whether you are talking about a man or a woman. Just change the 'the' or 'a' before it (el yanqui / la yanqui).

American vs. Yanqui

In Spanish, 'americano' refers to anyone from North, Central, or South America. To specifically mean someone from the USA, people use 'estadounidense' or the informal 'yanqui'.

Plural forms

To make it plural, just add an 's' to the end: 'los yanquis' or 'las costumbres yanquis'.

Don't add an 'a' for women

Mistake: “La yanquia es mi amiga.”

Correction: La yanqui es mi amiga. (Words ending in -i usually don't change for gender.)

yanqui

adjectiveB1informal
Use 'yanqui' as an adjective to describe things related to the USA, such as food, culture, or style, in a neutral or slightly informal context.

Examples

Me encanta la comida yanqui.

I love American food.

Gringo vs. Yanqui

The most common mistake is using 'yanqui' too broadly when 'gringo' is more natural and common in everyday, informal conversation. While 'yanqui' is understood, 'gringo' is the go-to informal term for Americans in many Spanish-speaking regions.

Related Translations

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