guerra
/ˈɡera/
In Spanish, guerra means war.
Guerra refers to a state of armed conflict between different nations or groups. To express the act of waging or conducting a war, use the phrase hacer la guerra. A related term is guerrilla, which describes irregular warfare or specific types of combatants.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Latin America, the word lucha may be used to describe a conflict or struggle instead of guerra.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun guerra is feminine. Because of this, it is used with the feminine article la (e.g., la guerra) rather than the masculine article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡera/
Did you know?
- The word guerrilla is a diminutive of guerra, literally meaning 'little war', which describes a specific style of irregular combat.
- The Spanish word guerra does not actually come from Latin, but was borrowed into Early Medieval Latin from the Frankish word for 'confusion' or 'quarrel'.
- In Spanish, the expression estar en guerra can describe two people who are simply arguing or not speaking to each other, not just nations in conflict.
Examples in context
- La guerra cambió la historia del país.The war changed the history of the country.
- Nadie quiere una guerra mundial.Nobody wants a world war.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a news report in a cafe.
- Elena¿Viste las noticias sobre la guerra?Did you see the news about the war?
- DanielSí, es una situación muy triste.Yes, it is a very sad situation.
- ElenaEspero que la guerra termine pronto.I hope the war ends soon.
- DanielYo también, la paz es necesaria.Me too, peace is necessary.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry guerra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guerra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
