país
/paˈis/masculine
The Spanish word for "country" is país.
país is a masculine noun meaning a nation state. You may use the formal term nación when discussing a country in a political or formal context.
Meaning: nation state (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use país when you are referring to a political nation state. If you want to refer to the countryside or rural areas, use campo instead.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of país is países.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈis/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word país shares a common ancestor with the English word 'pagan'. Both stem from the Latin 'pāgus', which originally referred to a rural district or countryside.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the word paisano is used not just for a 'countryman' from another nation, but for anyone from the same town or village.
- The term terruño is a poetic way to refer to one's native 'country' or land, specifically evoking the smell and feel of the physical soil.
Examples in context
- Huyó de su país.He fled his country.This sentence shows how to use país to describe fleeing a country.Tatoeba #3173213 by cueyayotl, translation #1815759 by Spamster
- ¿De qué país eres?Which country are you from?This sentence demonstrates asking which país someone is from.Tatoeba #2966 by Shishir, translation #329612 by fcbond
- Egipto es un país.Egypt is a country.This sentence uses país to identify Egypt as a country.Tatoeba #11972595 by Seael, translation #8013584 by OsoHombre
- ¿En qué país vives?Which country do you live in?
- La nación está celebrando su independenciaThe country is celebrating its independence
- Me encantaría visitar tu tierraI would love to visit your country/land
- Amo a mi patriaI love my country
- ¿Cuál es tu país de origen?What is your country of origin?
- Viajaré a tu paísI will travel to your country
- ¿Has visitado algún país interesante?Have you visited any interesting countries?
- Hay muchos países hermosos para visitarThere are many beautiful countries to visit
- Me gustaría aprender sobre otros países y culturasI would like to learn about other countries and cultures
- 695 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their travel plans.
- LucíaQuiero visitar un país nuevo este año.I want to visit a new country this year.
- MateoTienes que ir a Japón, es increíble.You have to go to Japan, it is incredible.
- LucíaSí, ese país tiene una cultura muy rica.Yes, that country has a very rich culture.
- MateoEs verdad, te encantaría estar allí.That is true, you would love to be there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “country” translations and entries país, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries país, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
