ejército
/eˈxeɾθito/masculine
The Spanish word for army is ejército.
ejército refers to a military force. While it specifically denotes land forces, it is often used as a general term for the entire military in casual conversation.
Meaning: military force concerned mainly with ground operations (noun)
Which one should you use?
ejército refers specifically to the land forces, whereas fuerzas armadas is a formal term that encompasses all branches of the armed forces. To specifically differentiate the army from other branches like the air force or navy, you can use ejército de tierra, which means 'army of the land' or 'land army'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ejército is ejércitos.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈxeɾθito/
Did you know?
- Because ejército comes from the Latin exercitus, it shares a common ancestor with the English word 'exercise'. Both words originally described the training and drill of troops.
- The phrase ejército de un solo hombre is used in Spanish to describe a 'one-man army', often applied to people who handle all the tasks in a business or household.
- While ejército refers to the military, the word ejercicios refers to schoolwork or physical training, creating a semantic link between discipline and duty.
Examples in context
- Me uní al ejército.I went into the army.This sentence shows how to express joining the army using ejército.Tatoeba #1781379 by marcelostockle, translation #262188 by CK
- ¿Tú y qué ejército?You and what army?This sentence uses ejército in a rhetorical question.Tatoeba #9417195 by eltacodemex, translation #8667025 by ajje
- Entró en el ejército.He entered the army.This sentence describes someone entering the army using ejército.Tatoeba #9706759 by Shishir, translation #304635 by CK
- El ejército español es reconocido a nivel internacionalThe Spanish army is internationally recognized
- Las fuerzas armadas trabajan para garantizar la seguridad del paísThe armed forces work to ensure the country's security
- Los militares están entrenados para cumplir misiones difícilesThe military is trained for difficult missions
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking about their grandfather's history.
- MaríaMi abuelo estuvo en el ejército.My grandfather was in the army.
- Javier¿En qué parte del ejército trabajó?What part of the army did he work in?
- MaríaFue ingeniero en el ejército.He was an engineer in the army.
- JavierEso suena muy interesante, María.That sounds very interesting, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “army” translations and entries ejército, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ejército, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
