nacionalidad inglesa
/naθjonalidad inɡlesa/from spelling rules
English nationality is translated into Spanish as nacionalidad inglesa.
The phrase refers to the status of being a citizen of England. When expressing nationality with the verb ser, you should use ser inglés for males and ser inglesa for females.
Which one should you use?
While nacionalidad inglesa is a direct way to name the status, you might use other expressions depending on the context: Ser de nacionalidad inglesa is used specifically for official forms or legal matters and Ser inglés/inglesa de nacimiento is used when you want to emphasize being English by birth.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, particularly in Latin America, the phrase Ser inglés/inglesa de origen is used to emphasize English heritage or ancestry.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective inglesa must agree in gender with the feminine noun nacionalidad. Additionally, note that adjectives of nationality in Spanish are not capitalized unless they appear at the start of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/naθjonalidad inɡlesa/
Did you know?
- While inglés means 'English', it is often used in Spanish to refer to anyone from the United Kingdom, not just England.
- The word nacionalidad is built from the root nación, which comes from the Latin nātiōnem, meaning 'birth' or 'origin'.
- If you are filling out a form in Spain, you might see the term nacionalidad used broadly to mean 'citizenship', which is a slightly different legal concept than 'nationality' in some English-speaking countries.
Examples in context
- Ella tiene nacionalidad inglesa.She has English nationality.
- ¿Es requisito tener nacionalidad inglesa?Is it a requirement to have English nationality?
- Él no posee la nacionalidad inglesa.He does not possess English nationality.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a job application requirement.
- JavierSofía, ¿necesitas la nacionalidad inglesa para el trabajo?Sofía, do you need English nationality for the job?
- SofíaNo, Javier, solo piden un permiso de trabajo.No, Javier, they only ask for a work permit.
- JavierQué bueno, pensé que era obligatorio.That's good, I thought it was mandatory.
- SofíaMenos mal, porque no tengo la nacionalidad inglesa.Thank goodness, because I don't have English nationality.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nacionalidad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
