Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| extraterrestre | /eɡstɾateˈrestɾe/ |
| alienígena | /aljeˈnixena/ |
Both extraterrestre and alienígena are used to describe things or beings originating from outside of the Earth. While extraterrestre is a direct cognate for the English word, alienígena is frequently used in a biological or science fiction context to mean 'alien'. Additionally, extraterrestre can be used as a noun to refer to a being originating from outside of the Earth.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective extraterrestre is composed of the prefix extra- (outside) and terrestre (terrestrial or earthly).
Which one should you use?
extraterrestre is the direct cognate of the English word, whereas alienígena is often used to convey the meaning of 'alien' in science fiction or biological contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective extraterrestre is invariant in gender, so the form remains the same whether the noun it modifies is masculine or feminine. To make extraterrestre plural, add '-s' to form extraterrestres. The adjective alienígena becomes plural by adding '-s' to form alienígenas.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡstɾateˈrestɾe/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use marcianito as a playful or diminutive term for an extraterrestrial, specifically referencing a 'little Martian'.
- The suffix -ígena in alienígena is used in other Spanish words to describe the origin of a species or group, such as indígena for 'indigenous'.
- While English speakers use 'alien' to mean both a space creature and a person without legal status, a Spanish speaker would almost never use alienígena to describe an undocumented immigrant.
Examples in context
- He oído que han encontrado un objeto extraterrestre en la Luna.I've heard that they've found an extraterrestrial object on the moon.This sentence shows how to use the adjective extraterrestre to describe an object.Tatoeba #1809994 by Shishir, translation #3678675 by OJR1
- El avistamiento de un objeto alienígena causó gran expectación en la comunidad científica.The sighting of an extraterrestrial object caused great excitement in the scientific community.
- Sus habilidades matemáticas son tan extraordinarias que parecen ser de otro planeta.His mathematical skills are so extraordinary that they seem to be from another planet.
- Anoche vi una película sobre extraterrestres muy emocionante.Last night I watched a very exciting movie about extraterrestrials.
- ¡Ese chico es tan raro! Parece un marciano.That guy is so weird! He looks like an extraterrestrial.
- ¡La tecnología de ese celular es de otro mundo!The technology on that cellphone is out of this world!
- Estudian la vida extraterrestre en el laboratorio.They study extraterrestrial life in the laboratory.
Example conversation
Daniel and Maria are discussing a new science book.
- DanielMira este libro sobre el origen extraterrestre.Look at this book about extraterrestrial origin.
- MaríaParece muy interesante, Daniel.It looks very interesting, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Crees que alguna vez visitaron la Tierra?Do you think they ever visited Earth?
- MaríaNo lo sé, pero me encanta el tema.I don't know, but I love the topic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “extraterrestrial” translations and entries extraterrestre, alienígena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
