premio
/ˈpɾemjo/masculine
The English word award is premio in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists galardón.
Meaning: trophy or medal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| premio | /ˈpɾemjo/ | masculine |
| galardón | /ɡalaɾˈdon/ | masculine |
The noun premio is a general term for a prize or award and can refer to anything from a small raffle prize to a major professional award. If you want to describe the action of giving an award or recognizing merit, use the verb premiar. For legal contexts involving giving something by judicial determination, the verbs fallar or laudar are used.
Which one should you use?
While premio is the common word for any prize or award, galardón is a more formal and prestigious term often used in journalism or official ceremonies to mean an award or distinction.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of premio is premios.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɾemjo/
Did you know?
- The formal word galardón is a distant relative of the obsolete English word 'guerdon'. Both originate from a Germanic root meaning a reward or recompense.
- In Spanish, premio is used not only for trophies but also for the 'jackpot' in a lottery. If someone wins the lottery, they are said to have won the premio mayor.
- When referring to the Nobel Prize, Spanish speakers use Premio Nobel rather than Premio de Nobel, omitting the preposition that usually indicates possession.
Examples in context
- Tom ganó un premio.Tom won an award.This sentence is useful for showing how to say someone won an award using premio.Tatoeba #5939735 by arh, translation #5939662 by CK
- Yo también gané un premio.I won an award as well.This sentence shows how to express winning an award as well using premio.Tatoeba #1278790 by marcelostockle, translation #1276326 by CM
- ¡El premio debería ser para mí!The award should be for me!This sentence demonstrates how to say the award should be for someone using premio.Tatoeba #1287338 by hayastan, translation #1681410 by aka_aj
- ¡Felicidades por tu premio! Eres realmente talentoso/a.Congratulations on your award! You are truly talented.
- La actriz ganó un premio por su destacada actuación.The actress won an award for her outstanding performance.
- ¡Me alegra que te hayan dado un reconocimiento por tu esfuerzo!I'm glad you have been recognized for your effort!
- El galardón que recibió es un reconocimiento a su trayectoria profesional.The award he received is recognition of his professional career.
- Recibió una distinción especial por sus contribuciones a la sociedad.He received a special distinction for his contributions to society.
- La medalla olímpica es el mayor galardón para cualquier atleta.The Olympic medal is the greatest award for any athlete.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are at an awards ceremony.
- ElenaMira qué bonito es ese premio.Look how beautiful that award is.
- AlejandroSí, es una copa de oro.Yes, it is a gold cup.
- ElenaEspero que Alejandro gane el premio.I hope Alejandro wins the award.
- AlejandroGracias, Elena. Yo también lo espero.Thank you, Elena. I hope so too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “award” translations and entries premio, galardón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries galardón, premio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
