ciudades
/θjudades/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'cities' is translated into Spanish as ciudades.
The word refers to large human settlements with developed infrastructure and a permanent population.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of the word is ciudad. Because ciudad is a feminine noun, the plural form ciudades must be preceded by the feminine plural article las when you want to say 'the cities' (las ciudades).
How do you pronounce it?
/θjudades/
Did you know?
- If a city is very large and spread out, you might hear it described as una mancha urbana (an urban stain). This is a common way to discuss urban sprawl in a sociological or geographic context.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the 'plaza' is the indispensable heart of the ciudad. Most traditional cities are designed around a central square, which serves as the primary social and civic hub, more so than a 'city center' might in the US.
- The word ciudad is a linguistic cousin of the English word 'city' because both derive from the Latin civitas, which originally referred to the body of citizens rather than the physical buildings.
Examples in context
- Me gustan las ciudades.I like cities.Tatoeba #3445613 by ulymarrero, translation #2245934 by CK
- El puente une las dos ciudades.The bridge connects the two cities.Tatoeba #1053882 by hayastan, translation #1126780 by CK
- Hay muchas ciudades en este país.There are many cities in this country.Tatoeba #3062513 by marcelostockle, translation #59270 by Lumi_alt
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing where to live.
- DanielPrefiero vivir en ciudades pequeñas.I prefer living in small cities.
- ElenaA mí me gustan más las ciudades grandes.I like big cities more.
- DanielPero las ciudades grandes son ruidosas.But big cities are noisy.
- ElenaEs verdad, pero tienen más oportunidades.That's true, but they have more opportunities.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
