historia
/isˈtoɾja/feminine
The English word 'history' is translated into Spanish as historia.
historia refers to the branch of knowledge that studies the past.
Meaning: branch of knowledge that studies the past (noun)
Which one should you use?
The Spanish word historia is used for both the academic discipline of 'history' and for a narrative or 'story'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term historial can be used to refer to a person's personal or professional history.
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about history as a general subject or field of study, it is common to use the definite article la before historia. The plural form of historia is historias.
How do you pronounce it?
/isˈtoɾja/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word historieta is a diminutive of historia and is the common term for a 'comic strip'.
- The English word 'history' and the Spanish word historia share the exact same ancestor: the Greek word ἱστορία, which originally meant 'inquiry' or 'knowledge acquired by investigation'.
- In some contexts, saying me contó una historia might imply that the speaker is telling a lie or a 'tall tale' rather than a factual event.
Examples in context
- Me gusta la historia.I like history.Tatoeba #1279993 by marcelostockle, translation #262257 by CK
- Él me enseñó historia.He taught me history.Tatoeba #1273902 by marcelostockle, translation #370634 by saeb
- Soy bueno en historia.I am good at history.Tatoeba #5455486 by baudelaire, translation #436367 by lukaszpp
- La historia de España es rica y fascinante.The history of Spain is rich and fascinating.
- ¡La historia de mi pueblo es un pasado histórico que todos deberíamos conocer!The history of my town is a historic past that everyone should know!
- 201 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about their university studies.
- Javier¿Qué estudias en la universidad, Lucía?What are you studying at the university, Lucía?
- LucíaEstudio la historia de España.I study the history of Spain.
- Javier¡Qué bien! La historia es fascinante.That's great! History is fascinating.
- LucíaSí, me encanta aprender sobre el pasado.Yes, I love learning about the past.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “history” translations and entries historia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries historia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
