gemelos idénticos
/xemelos identikos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "identical twins" is translated into Spanish as gemelos idénticos.
This phrase refers to two siblings born at the same time who look exactly like each other, specifically monozygotic twins.
Which one should you use?
Use gemelos idénticos specifically to distinguish monozygotic twins from fraternal twins, which are referred to as mellizos in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender with the subject. Use the masculine plural gemelos idénticos for a pair of male twins or a mixed-gender pair. If you are referring to a single female twin, use the feminine singular gemela idéntica.
Did you know?
- The word gemelos also refers to the calf muscles in the leg, which are called the 'twins' because they look like a mirrored pair.
- In some regions, the term gemelos can refer to cufflinks, which are the small paired fasteners used on formal shirt sleeves.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people use the word mellizos to mean any kind of twins, even if they are genetically identical.
Examples in context
- Di a luz a gemelos idénticos.I delivered identical twins.This sentence is useful for talking about the birth of gemelos idénticos.Tatoeba #1702987 by marcelostockle, translation #27189 by Luornu
- Tom y John son gemelos idénticos.Tom and John are identical twins.This sentence is useful for describing two people as gemelos idénticos.Tatoeba #3665375 by hayastan, translation #3592869 by CK
- Los gemelos idénticos son difíciles de distinguir.Identical twins are difficult to distinguish.
- Elena y María son gemelas idénticas.Elena and María are identical twins.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking at a photograph of two children.
- Lucía¿Son hermanos esos niños?Are those children siblings?
- AlejandroSí, son gemelos idénticos.Yes, they are identical twins.
- Lucía¡No puedo notar la diferencia!I can't tell the difference!
- AlejandroEs normal, son gemelos idénticos.It's normal, they are identical twins.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
