gran hombre
/ɡɾan ombɾe/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the English phrase "big man" can be translated depending on whether you mean a man of importance or a man of large physical size.
gran hombre is used to describe a man of great character, importance or status. It is the equivalent of saying someone is a "great man."
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on whether you are discussing personality or physical stature. Use gran hombre to refer to a man who is great or important. To describe a man who is large in physical size, use hombre grande instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the adjective grande precedes the noun to mean "great" or "important," it is shortened to gran.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡɾan ombɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use gran hombre to describe someone's physical size, as this refers to their character. Use hombre grande for physical size.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Él es un gran hombre en la empresa.He is a big man in the company.This sentence shows how to use gran hombre when referring to a man's status within a company.Tatoeba #2764862 by Max101, translation #294635 by Zifre
- El señor López es un hombre grande y respetado.Mr. López is a big and respected man.
- Mira a ese tipo grande allí, parece muy fuerte.Look at that big guy over there, he seems very strong.
- Me encontré con un tipo grande en el gimnasio.I met a big guy at the gym.
- El director de la empresa es un hombre grande e influyente.The company's director is a big and influential man.
- Mi abuelo era un hombre grande y sabio.My grandfather was a big and wise man.
- Él es un gran hombre de corazón.He is a great man at heart.
- Tu abuelo fue un gran hombre.Your grandfather was a great man.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a former boss.
- Sofía¿Recuerdas al antiguo director?Do you remember the former director?
- MateoSí, era un gran hombre.Yes, he was a great man.
- SofíaSiempre ayudaba a todos.He always helped everyone.
- MateoÉl era muy generoso con nosotros.He was very generous with us.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gran, hombre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
