Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| nacido | /naˈθido/ /naˈsido/ |
| nato | /ˈnato/ |
In Spanish, you can use the past participle nacido to describe the state of having been born or the verb nacer to express the action of being born in the present or past tense. For example, the question ¿Dónde has nacido? means 'Where were you born?'
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the biological event and figurative descriptions. Use nacido when referring to the biological event of being born or the state of having been born. Use nato figuratively to mean 'natural' or 'innate' when describing a person's talent or character, such as a 'born leader'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is acceptable to use nacer and natural de when referring to birthplace.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form must agree with the subject in both gender and number. Use nacida for a female subject, and use nacidos for a masculine or mixed-gender plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˈθido/
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the word nacimiento for both a biological birth and the beginning of a river or a spring of water.
- In Spanish, the concept of being 'born again' is expressed as nacido de nuevo, which is the central term used in Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian contexts in Latin America.
- The Spanish word nato shares the same Latin ancestor as the English word 'native', both coming from the root meaning 'to be born'.
Examples in context
- Él es un poeta nato.He is a born poet.This sentence is useful for showing how to use nato to describe a natural talent.Tatoeba #818647 by Shishir, translation #300663 by CM
- Ha nacido un gatito.A kitten was born.This sentence is useful for showing the use of nacido for a biological event.Tatoeba #5824517 by albrusgher, translation #4091889 by andymakespasta
- Él es un artista nato.He is a born artist.This sentence is useful for showing how to use nato to describe a natural artist.Tatoeba #1250910 by Shishir, translation #1280387 by Eldad
- Soy originario de Colombia.I am originally from Colombia.
- Nací en México.I was born in Mexico.
- Ella nació en Argentina.She was born in Argentina.
- Él nació en Colombia.He was born in Colombia.
- Nací en España.I was born in Spain.
- Ella nació en Francia.She was born in France.
- Es natural de Italia.He is originally from Italy.
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about their family history.
- Sofía¿Dónde fue nacido tu abuelo?Where was your grandfather born?
- JavierMi abuelo fue nacido en Italia.My grandfather was born in Italy.
- SofíaQué interesante, yo soy nacida en España.How interesting, I was born in Spain.
- JavierEntonces ambos somos europeos.Then we are both Europeans.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “born” translations and entries nacido, nato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
