Spanish Conversation · Level 157
30 words
Spanish word
duende
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈdwende/
Meaning
- masculine nounfairy
Example
Mi hija dice que hay un duende en el jardín.
My daughter says there is a fairy in the garden.
More examples
¿Crees en los duendes de los cuentos populares?
Do you believe in fairies in folk tales?
Core concept
Small unseen household elf or spirit that explains odd noises and missing items.
Common phrases
creer en duendes
believe in fairies
ver un duende
see a fairy
cuento de duendes
tale of fairies
Similar words
espíritu: Invisible spiritual presence believed to inhabit people, homes, or special places.
hada: Tiny magical nature sprite pictured near woods, gardens, or flowing water.
fantasma: Apparition regarded as the soul of a deceased person that appears or lingers.
Definition in Spanish
Ser pequeño e invisible que, según la tradición, se considera responsable de pequeñas señales sobrenaturales en el hogar.
Word origin
Derived from a contraction of dueño de 'owner of the house', ultimately from Latin dominus, reflecting the idea of a presence that 'belongs' to a place.
Usage tips
- The noun is masculine (el duende) and when applied to people it usually appears in set phrases such as tener duende to mean striking artistic charisma rather than a literal fairy.
Other meanings
- spritenoun
- spiritnoun
Related words
- duendecillolittle fairynoun
- duendescofairylikeadjective