colonia
/koˈlonja/feminine
The English word 'colony' is translated to Spanish as colonia.
colonia refers to a region or a governmental unit. In many Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, it is also commonly used to refer to a residential neighborhood or district.
Meaning: region or governmental unit (noun)
Which one should you use?
While colonia can mean a political colony, it is also the standard term for a neighborhood in several Spanish-speaking countries, a nuance not present in the English word 'colony'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the term Virreinato is used to refer to a viceroyalty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of colonia is colonias.
How do you pronounce it?
/koˈlonja/
Did you know?
- In Spanish colonia can also refer to perfume or cologne. This usage comes from the city of Cologne in Germany, where the first fragrances of this type were produced.
- In Latin American history, the period of Spanish rule is simply called La Colonia, turning the noun into a proper name for an entire historical era.
- In some contexts, colonia can describe a group of people from the same country living in a foreign land, such as a 'Spanish colony' in New York.
Examples in context
- Jamaica es una colonia inglesa.Jamaica's an English colony.Tatoeba #2267492 by hayastan, translation #2267491 by _undertoad
- Brasil fue una colonia portuguesa.Brazil was a Portuguese colony.Tatoeba #1365158 by hayastan, translation #1365162 by Eldad
- Kenia solía ser una colonia inglesa.Kenya used to be a British colony.Tatoeba #1314809 by marcelostockle, translation #62580 by CK
- La colonia británica en América.The British colony in America.
- Vivo en una pequeña colonia en las afueras.I live in a small neighborhood on the outskirts.
- El poblado de pescadores se considera una colonia de pescadores.The fishermen's village is considered a fishing colony.
- Los historiadores estudian la caída de la colonia romana.Historians study the fall of the Roman colony.
- Me encanta visitar la colonia italiana en esta ciudad. La comida es maravillosa.I love visiting the Italian neighborhood in this city. The food is amazing.
- Mis abuelos vivieron en un pequeño poblado en las montañas. Era una colonia minera.My grandparents lived in a small village in the mountains. It was a mining colony.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are studying history in a library.
- LucíaEsta colonia tenía mucha riqueza en oro.This colony had a lot of wealth in gold.
- JavierSí, pero la vida allí era muy dura.Yes, but life there was very hard.
- LucíaLa colonia luchó por su independencia pronto.The colony fought for its independence soon.
- JavierEso cambió la historia de la región.That changed the history of the region.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “colony” translations and entries colonia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colonia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
