Spanish Conversation · Level 43
73 words
Spanish word
payo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈpaʝo/
Meaning
- masculine nounnon-Romani
Example
¿Eres payo?
Are you non-Romani?
More examples
En la fiesta del barrio, payos y gitanos bailaron juntos.
At the neighborhood festival, non-Romani and Romani people danced together.
Core concept
Person regarded as an outsider to Romani groups.
Common phrases
los payos
the non-Romani people
hablar con payos
talk with non-Romani people
Similar words
no gitano: Straightforward descriptor for someone who is not Romani.
gadjo: Romani-origin name for outsiders that often carries insult.
forastero: Someone who is a stranger to the group or from outside the area.
Definition in Spanish
Término usado en contextos informales para distinguir a personas de origen no romaní o no gitano.
Word origin
Adopted into Spanish through Caló, where the label identified outsiders and thus came to mean a person not of Roma origin.
Usage tips
- Grammatical gender and plural follow regular patterns (payo, paya, payos, payas), so agreement follows normal noun and adjective rules while social sensitivity affects appropriateness.
Opposites
- gitanoRomaninoun
- romaRomanoun