de oro
/de oɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'gold' is translated into Spanish as de oro. Wiktionary also lists áureo and áurico.
Meaning: made of gold, golden (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| de oro | /de oɾo/ (from spelling rules) |
| áureo | /ˈauɾeo/ |
| áurico | /ˈauɾiko/ |
| aurífero | /auˈɾifeɾo/ |
The phrase de oro is used both literally for objects made of gold and figuratively for qualities, such as corazón de oro (heart of gold).
Which one should you use?
áureo is a literary or poetic way to say 'golden' and is rarely used in everyday conversation. aurífero is a technical or geological term used to describe something that contains or produces gold, such as a vein or a river.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe an object made of gold, Spanish uses the prepositional phrase de oro rather than an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/de oɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, gold jewelry is not just for wealth but is traditionally given as a 'quinceañera' gift to mark a girl's transition to womanhood.
- The phrase de oro can be used to describe 'golden' years or eras in history, such as la edad de oro, referring to the Spanish Golden Age of arts and letters.
- The root of the word oro traces back to a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'glow', linking the metal to its visual properties.
Examples in context
- ¿Es de oro puro?Is that pure gold?Tatoeba #1075247 by hayastan, translation #442974 by CK
- Tiene corazón de oro.He has a heart of gold.This sentence shows the figurative use of de oro to describe a person's character.Tatoeba #11871099 by JSKabylie15, translation #2217665 by Hybrid
- Le di un reloj de oro.I gave him a gold watch.Tatoeba #455048 by Shishir, translation #260374 by CK
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are looking at jewelry in a shop.
- María¿Ese anillo es de oro?Is that ring made of gold?
- AlejandroSí, es un anillo de oro muy bonito.Yes, it is a very beautiful gold ring.
- MaríaEs demasiado caro para mí.It is too expensive for me.
- AlejandroTienes razón, María, es muy costoso.You are right, María, it is very costly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gold” translations and entries áureo, áurico, aurífero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aurífero, de, oro, áureo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
