soy un esclavo
/soi un esklabo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I am a slave" is said as soy un esclavo.
A person says this to state that they are owned by another person and forced to work.
What does it mean word for word?
The word soy comes from the verb ser (to be) and un esclavo means "a slave".
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the noun must change to the feminine form soy una esclava. To specify who owns the person, use the preposition de followed by the owner.
Did you know?
- The word esclavo has a surprising historical connection to ethnicity, as it is derived from the term for a person from 'Slav' lands.
- While many English speakers use 'slave' metaphorly, using soy un esclavo in Spanish to describe being overworked can sound much more heavy or literal than the English equivalent.
- While esclavo refers to a slave, the word siervo is used for a serf. In Spanish history, these terms distinguished between different legal statuses of forced labor.
Examples in context
- Me tienen esclavizado/aThey have me enslaved
- Soy un esclavo de este sistema.I am a slave to this system.
- Sin libertad, soy un esclavo.Without freedom, I am a slave.
- No puedo escapar, soy un esclavo.I cannot escape, I am a slave.
Example conversation
A dramatic scene in a historical play.
- AlejandroNo tengo derechos, soy un esclavo.I have no rights, I am a slave.
- SofíaLo siento mucho, Alejandro.I am very sorry, Alejandro.
- AlejandroMi vida no me pertenece.My life does not belong to me.
- SofíaBuscaremos una forma de ayudarte.We will find a way to help you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esclavo, soy, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
