afroamericano
/afɾoameɾikano/from spelling rules
The English phrase African American is translated into Spanish as afroamericano.
The term is used to describe a person of African descent who is a citizen of the United States.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the term afrodescendiente is commonly used to refer to individuals of African descent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and number: afroamericano is the masculine singular form, while afroamericana is used when referring to a woman. For groups, use afroamericanos for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and afroamericanas when referring exclusively to a group of women. In written text, the slash form afroamericano/a is often used to include both masculine and feminine references.
How do you pronounce it?
/afɾoameɾikano/
Did you know?
- Because the adjective americano in Spanish refers to the entire continent of America, the term afroamericano can occasionally be interpreted as 'an African living in the Americas' rather than specifically a US citizen.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people may use the word moreno to describe someone with dark skin or hair, which is a more general and often softer term than those focusing on ethnic ancestry.
- The word americano inside afroamericano derives from the New Latin America, which was named after the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.
Examples in context
- Él es un escritor afroamericano muy famoso.He is a very famous African American writer.
- Muchos artistas afroamericanos han influido en el jazz.Many African American artists have influenced jazz.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing a book they are reading.
- LucíaEste libro fue escrito por un autor afroamericano.This book was written by an African American author.
- AlejandroNo lo sabía, ¿de qué trata la historia?I didn't know, what is the story about?
- LucíaTrata sobre la cultura afroamericana en el siglo veinte.It's about African American culture in the twentieth century.
- AlejandroSuena muy interesante, quiero leerlo.That sounds very interesting, I want to read it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afroamericano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
