Spanish word

mendigo

Pronunciation

IPA/menˈdiɣo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbeggar

Example

Vi a un mendigo en la plaza.

I saw a beggar in the square.

Illustration for mendigo (beggar)

More examples

El mendigo callejero extendió la mano para pedir ayuda.

The street beggar extended his hand to ask for help.

Core concept

Person holding out a cup on a city sidewalk.

Common phrases

  • mendigo callejero

    street beggar

  • mendigo de la plaza

    square beggar

Similar words

pordiosero: Person who asks passersby for alms using words or gestures, often pleading for aid.
indigente: Poor person who lacks enough money or stable housing and lives in severe need.
vagabundo: Person who wanders without a fixed home, moving from place to place.
limosnero: Person who solicits and receives alms from passersby to obtain money or food.

Definition in Spanish

Persona que pide limosna en la vía pública.

Word origin

From Latin mendīcus 'beggar', from the verb mendicāre 'to beg', entering Spanish via Vulgar Latin and Old Spanish.

Usage tips

  • The word mendigo often sounds blunt or stigmatizing, so speakers who want neutral wording commonly say persona sin hogar or persona en situación de calle.

Opposites

Related words

  • mendigarbegverb
  • mendicidadbeggingnoun

Word lists with this word