países
/paises/from spelling rules
The English word 'countries' is translated into Spanish as países.
In formal settings, it is customary to include the definite article before the country's name, such as Los Estados Unidos for The United States, El Reino Unido for The United Kingdom or Los Países Bajos for The Netherlands.
How does it change in a sentence?
países is the plural form of país, which means 'country'.
How do you pronounce it?
/paises/
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'country' can mean 'the countryside', Spanish uses el campo for rural areas and reserves país strictly for the nation or territory.
- While you use países to talk about nations, you should never use it to refer to a 'homeland' or 'motherland', which requires the word patria.
- The term país is used in the phrase el país de las maravillas to translate 'Wonderland', treating a fantasy realm as a sovereign state.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué países has visitado?Which countries have you visited?This sentence is useful for asking about visited países.Tatoeba #684567 by Shishir, translation #682337 by Source_VOA
- Deseo viajar a otros países.I wish to travel to other countries.This sentence is useful for expressing a wish to travel to other países.Tatoeba #3788538 by cueyayotl, translation #9299918 by Nylez
- ¿Cuántos países hay en Europa?How many countries are in Europe?This sentence is useful for asking how many países are in Europe.Tatoeba #10211605 by manufrutos, translation #5147518 by CarpeLanam
- 170 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their travel plans.
- ElenaMe gusta conocer países nuevos.I like to visit new countries.
- MateoYo también quiero ver muchos países.I also want to see many countries.
- Elena¿Qué países prefieres tú, Mateo?Which countries do you prefer, Mateo?
- MateoPrefiero los países de Europa.I prefer the countries in Europe.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
