Spanish word

marciano

Pronunciation

IPA/maɾˈθjano/

Meaning

  • masculine nounMartian

Example

Si encontramos un marciano, cambiaría la historia.

If we were to find a Martian, it would change history.

Illustration for marciano (Martian)

More examples

Escuché un cuento sobre un marciano en la radio.

I heard a story about a Martian on the radio.

Core concept

A stranger whose behavior looks completely unfamiliar to everyone nearby.

Common phrases

  • cuento de un marciano

    story about a Martian

  • película sobre un marciano

    film about a Martian

Similar words

extraterrestre: Being believed to come from outside Earth, used for visitors or life from space.
alienígena: Being thought to originate on another planet, often used in scientific contexts.

Definition in Spanish

Habitante hipotético de Marte; por extensión coloquial, persona o cosa que parece muy extraña o ajena al entorno.

Word origin

From the Latin Mars plus the relational suffix -ianus (Spanish -iano), meaning 'related to Mars' and by extension 'a remarkably strange person' in colloquial Spanish.

Usage tips

  • Often used in exclamations such as ¡Es un marciano! to express surprise or discomfort at someone's oddness, which marks it as informal language.

Opposites

Word lists with this word