genio
/ˈxenjo/masculine
The Spanish word for genie is genio.
The word genio refers to a fictional magical being. It is also used to describe a person with great intellectual talent, such as a genius.
Meaning: a fictional magical being (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word genio is polysemous, meaning it can mean either a magical genie or a person who is a genius.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈxenjo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word genio actually comes from two different paths. The meaning 'genius' comes from the Latin word for 'birth', while the meaning 'genie' comes from the Arabic word jinn.
- While genio means 'genius', it is also the common Spanish word for 'temper'. If someone says tiene mal genio, they are not talking about intelligence but saying the person has a bad temper.
- In Spanish, the word genio can be used as a sarcastic compliment. Calling someone a genio after they make a clumsy mistake is a common way to call them an idiot.
Examples in context
- Un genio salió de la botella.A genie came out of the bottle.This sentence shows a genie coming out of a bottle using genio.Tatoeba #10290775 by Shishir, translation #10291510 by DJ_Saidez
- El genio de la lámpara concedió a Mary tres deseos.The genie from the lamp granted Mary three wishes.This sentence mentions the genie of the lamp using genio.Tatoeba #7908136 by Seael, translation #10555234 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Que pedirían ustedes a un genio si les concediera tres deseos?If a genie gave you three wishes, what would you ask for?This sentence asks what one would ask a genie using genio.Tatoeba #7929722 by Seael, translation #13532409 by nootley
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are watching a fantasy cartoon.
- Daniel¿Te gusta ese genio?Do you like that genie?
- LucíaSí, el genio es muy divertido.Yes, the genie is very funny.
- DanielOjalá yo tuviera un genio así.I wish I had a genie like that.
- LucíaDaniel, es solo una caricatura.Daniel, it is just a cartoon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “genie” translations and entries genio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries genio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
