anciano de la iglesia
/anθjano de la iɡlesja/from spelling rules
The English phrase "church elder" is translated into Spanish as anciano de la iglesia.
This phrase refers to a lay person holding a position of leadership or authority within a Christian church congregation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of anciano (elder or old man), de la (of the) and iglesia (church).
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female church elder, change the masculine anciano to the feminine anciana to form anciana de la iglesia. The plural form is created by adding -s to anciano to make ancianos, resulting in ancianos de la iglesia.
How do you pronounce it?
/anθjano de la iɡlesja/
Did you know?
- The word iglesia shares its roots with the Ancient Greek ekklēsía, which originally meant a 'gathering' or 'assembly' of citizens rather than a religious building.
- While anciano refers to a church elder, Spanish speakers often avoid this word when talking about the elderly in a social setting, preferring persona mayor to be more polite.
- In some Latin American cultures, calling someone an anciano is a mark of profound respect for their wisdom, even if they do not hold a formal title in the iglesia.
Examples in context
- El anciano de la iglesia guía a la congregación con sabiduría.The church elder guides the congregation with wisdom.
- Él es un anciano de la iglesia muy respetado.He is a very respected church elder.
- Necesitamos hablar con un anciano de la iglesia.We need to speak with a church elder.
- El anciano de la iglesia dio un discurso hoy.The church elder gave a speech today.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a meeting at their place of worship.
- Sofía¿Cuándo es la reunión con el anciano de la iglesia?When is the meeting with the church elder?
- JavierEs mañana a las diez de la mañana, Sofía.It is tomorrow at ten in the morning, Sofía.
- SofíaPerfecto, Javier, yo llevaré los documentos.Perfect, Javier, I will bring the documents.
- JavierMuy bien, nos vemos allí entonces.Very well, I will see you there then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anciano, de, iglesia, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
