Spanish Conversation · Level 26
90 words
Spanish word
siglo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈsiɣlo/
Meaning
- masculine nouncentury
Example
El siglo pasado hubo muchos cambios.
In the last century there were many changes.
More examples
Durante el siglo de oro se escribieron muchas obras.
During the golden age many works were written.
Core concept
A 100-year block on a timeline.
Common phrases
el siglo pasado
the last century
el siglo XXI
the 21st century
siglo de oro
golden age
Similar words
época: A stretch of time defined by shared cultural or historical characteristics.
era: A long historical era defined by major shifts or transformations in society.
periodo: A stretch of time with a defined duration or boundaries for study or measurement.
año: A period of 12 months that makes up one calendar year.
Definition in Spanish
Unidad de cien años usada para nombrar épocas y comparar eventos históricos.
Word origin
From Latin saeculum 'age, generation', which through Old Spanish phonetic change becomes siglo and denotes a 100-year period.
Usage tips
- Spanish commonly writes historical centuries with Roman numerals (el siglo XIX), and the phrase 'hace siglos' is used idiomatically to mean 'long ago'.