guerra civil
/ˌɡera θiˈbil/feminine
The English phrase "civil war" is translated into Spanish as guerra civil.
The term refers to a war between factions within a single country. In Spain, Guerra Civil is often used to refer explicitly to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
Meaning: war between factions within a single country (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun guerra is feminine. Because of this, when using the definite article, you must use la (la guerra civil) and any accompanying adjectives must also be feminine. To form the plural, both the noun and the adjective must change: guerra becomes guerras and civil becomes civiles, resulting in guerras civiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɡera θiˈbil/
Did you know?
- The word guerra is a linguistic outsider in Romance languages because it was borrowed from Frankish rather than descending directly from Latin.
- Depending on the region, discussing a guerra civil can be an intensely sensitive social taboo due to the enduring political divisions left by 20th-century conflicts.
- Spanish uses the same word civil to describe both a 'civil war' and 'civil law', creating a linguistic link between combat and the courtroom.
Examples in context
- Previno una guerra civil.It prevented a civil war.This sentence shows how to use guerra civil to describe preventing a war.Tatoeba #1387934 by marcelostockle, translation #804171 by Source_VOA
- Davis no quería la guerra civil.Davis did not want civil war.This sentence demonstrates the use of guerra civil to express a lack of desire for war.Tatoeba #1387956 by marcelostockle, translation #804183 by Source_VOA
- La guerra civil en Grecia terminó.The civil war in Greece ended.This sentence shows how to use guerra civil when referring to a specific war in Greece.Tatoeba #10027893 by manufrutos, translation #804187 by Source_VOA
- La guerra civil en Siria ha causado una devastación inmensa.The civil war in Syria has caused immense devastation.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing a history textbook in a library.
- María¿Qué estás leyendo, Mateo?What are you reading, Mateo?
- MateoUn libro sobre la guerra civil.A book about the civil war.
- MaríaParece un tema muy triste.It seems like a very sad topic.
- MateoSí, fue un periodo terrible.Yes, it was a terrible period.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “civil war” translations and entries guerra civil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries civil, guerra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
