Spanish Conversation · Level 7
87 words
Spanish word
castellano
Pronunciation
IPA/kasteˈʝano/
Meaning
- masculine nounSpanish
Example
¿Hablas castellano?
Do you speak Spanish?
More examples
En muchas ciudades la gente suele hablar castellano en situaciones informales.
In many cities people usually speak Spanish in informal situations.
Core concept
Language rooted in Castile.
Common phrases
hablar castellano
speak Spanish
clase de castellano
Spanish class
practicar castellano
practice Spanish
Similar words
español: Spanish that is spoken across Spain and in much of Latin America.
idioma: Language that people use for communication.
lengua: Language that is used in a particular region or country.
dialecto: Variety of a language spoken by a specific region or group with distinctive features.
Definition in Spanish
Lengua romance originada en la región de Castilla que puede designar la variedad histórica de esa zona o, por extensión, emplearse como sinónimo del español moderno.
Word origin
Derived from Latin castellānus 'belonging to a castle' via the place name Castilla, the term first named the regional dialect of Castile and later broadened to mean the national Spanish language.
Usage tips
- In Spain castellano is commonly used when contrasting Spanish with regional languages such as Catalan or Galician, while in most of Latin America people usually say español.
Other meanings
- Castiliannoun