son de
/son de/from spelling rules
The English phrase "are from" is translated into Spanish as son de.
Son de is used to indicate the place of origin or nationality of a group of people. It can also be used to indicate the country of origin for inanimate objects.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the third-person plural of the verb ser (to be) and the preposition de (of/from), making the literal translation "are of".
Which one should you use?
Because son de uses the verb ser, it is used for permanent characteristics like origin. In contrast, using estar de would imply a temporary state or location.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use the verb ser followed by de to express "are from".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form son de is used specifically when the subject is third-person plural (they/them) or second-person plural (you all/ustedes).
How do you pronounce it?
/son de/
Did you know?
- In some regions, son de is used to describe not just origin, but the perceived 'nature' or 'essence' of a group. For example, saying people son de oro means they are exceptionally kind or 'made of gold'.
- In some Latin American countries, son de is used to describe a person's social class or clique. Saying son de esa gente suggests they belong to a specific social group rather than a geographic place.
- The preposition de in son de is a direct descendant of the Latin dē, which originally meant 'down from' or 'away from'.
Examples in context
- Ustedes son de España.You are from Spain.This sentence demonstrates how to use son de with people.Tatoeba #11731103 by Seael, translation #11731100 by Seael
- Sus padres son de Algarve.Their parents are from Algarve.This sentence shows how to use son de when referring to someone's parents.Tatoeba #1247923 by hayastan, translation #10611103 by sangelo
- Estas botas son de Australia.These boots are from Australia.This sentence illustrates using son de to indicate the country of origin for an object.Tatoeba #3198204 by cueyayotl, translation #2974699 by CK
- El señor Rodríguez es originario de México.Mr. Rodríguez is from Mexico.
- La doctora Flores es de nacionalidad colombiana.Dr. Flores is from Colombia.
- Carlos y María son de Argentina.Carlos and María are from Argentina.
- Ellos son de Puerto Rico.They are from Puerto Rico.
- Nosotros somos de Madrid.We are from Madrid.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking about some people at a party.
- LucíaJavier, ¿los chicos de la mesa allí son de Francia?Javier, are the boys at that table from France?
- JavierNo, ellos son de Bélgica.No, they are from Belgium.
- LucíaAh, por eso hablan tan bien el francés.Ah, that is why they speak French so well.
- JavierExacto, son de allí.Exactly, they are from there.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, son, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
