Spanish word

americano

Pronunciation

IPA/ameɾiˈkano/

Meaning

  • masculine nounAmerican

Example

Conocí a un americano ayer.

I met an American yesterday.

Illustration for americano (American)

More examples

¿Es ese americano tu compañero de trabajo?

Is that American your coworker?

Core concept

Person holding a United States passport.

Common phrases

  • el americano de Nueva York

    the American from New York

  • un americano de visita

    a visiting American

  • un grupo de americanos

    a group of Americans

Similar words

estadounidense: United States national or U.S. citizen, commonly used as a neutral label in Spanish.
norteamericano: North American resident or native, indicating origin from the North American continent.
gringo: Casual or slang label for a perceived foreigner in Latin America, sometimes rude or teasing.

Definition in Spanish

Persona originaria o ciudadana de los Estados Unidos de América, a menudo llamada estadounidense en contextos formales.

Word origin

From the place-name América plus the Spanish suffix -ano, with América named for the explorer Amerigo Vespucci.

Usage tips

  • In many Spanish-speaking areas, 'estadounidense' is the preferred term for a United States citizen because 'americano' can mean anyone from the Americas.

Other meanings

  • person from the Americasnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word