chico de ciudad
/t͡ʃiko de θjudad/from spelling rules
The English phrase "city boy" is translated into Spanish as chico de ciudad.
chico de ciudad is used to refer to a male inhabitant of a city.
Meaning: male inhabitant of a city (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of chico (boy), de (of) and ciudad (city).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "city boys", use chicos de ciudad. Note that only the noun chico is pluralized while ciudad remains singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃiko de θjudad/
Did you know?
- The word chico might not be of European origin, as some linguists believe it was borrowed from the Yucatec Maya word chiʼik, meaning 'small'.
- The word chico may have originated from the Latin 'ciccum', which was used to describe an 'insignificant thing' or a 'trifle'.
- The term chico is often used to mean 'guy' or 'young man' in many Spanish-speaking contexts, even if the person is an adult and not actually a child.
Examples in context
- Mi primo Ignacio es un chico de ciudad. Vive en Madrid desde siempre y le encanta el ajetreo y la vida moderna.My cousin Ignacio is a city boy. He has always lived in Madrid and loves the hustle and bustle of modern life.
- Mario es un chico de la ciudad muy cool. Siempre está al tanto de las últimas tendencias.Mario is a really cool city boy. He's always up to date with the latest trends.
- Eduardo es un chico citadino, le gusta la vida agitada de la ciudad y disfruta de las comodidades que ofrece.Eduardo is a city boy, he enjoys the busy life of the city and the comforts it provides.
- Él es un chico de ciudad.He is a city boy.
- Ese chico de ciudad no sabe cultivar nada.That city boy doesn't know how to grow anything.
- Parece un chico de ciudad por su ropa.He looks like a city boy because of his clothes.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are visiting a farm.
- SofíaMateo, te pierdes en este bosque.Mateo, you are getting lost in this forest.
- MateoEs que soy un chico de ciudad.It's just that I'm a city boy.
- SofíaTienes que aprender a leer el mapa.You have to learn how to read the map.
- MateoLo intentaré, aunque sea difícil.I will try, even if it's difficult.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chico, ciudad, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
