Spanish word

historia

Pronunciation

IPA/isˈtoɾja/

Meaning

  • feminine nounstory

Example

Cuéntame una historia interesante.

Tell me an interesting story.

Illustration for historia (story)

More examples

Después de contar una historia emotiva, la audiencia lloró.

After telling an emotional story, the audience cried.

Core concept

An organized narrative that links events into a single tale.

Common phrases

  • contar una historia

    telling a story

  • escuchar una historia

    listening to a story

  • compartir una historia

    sharing a story

Similar words

cuento: A short, invented story told mainly for entertainment.
anécdota: A brief account of a real, often amusing personal incident.
suceso: An event or occurrence that takes place at a particular time.
relato: A sequential account that narrates events in chronological order.

Definition in Spanish

Relato organizado de acontecimientos; puede referirse a un cuento concreto o al conjunto cronológico de hechos que forman la historia.

Word origin

The Spanish word historia comes from Greek ἱστορία via Latin and means 'inquiry' or 'knowledge', which explains its extension to both a told narrative and the record of past events.

Usage tips

  • The article matters: una historia usually signals a single tale or anecdote, while la historia or historia in a general sense often refers to the subject or record of past events.

Other meanings

  • historynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word