e inglés
/e inɡles/from spelling rules
The phrase e inglés in Spanish means "and English".
A conjunction and the name of the English language.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the standard conjunction for "and" is y. However, it changes to e specifically when the following word begins with the sound /i/ (such as in inglés) to avoid a phonetic clash between the two sounds.
How do you pronounce it?
/e inɡles/
Did you know?
- The conjunction e is a direct descendant of the Latin word et. In English, this same Latin root survives in the phrase 'et cetera', where et still means 'and'.
- The use of e instead of y depends entirely on the sound of the next word, meaning it is triggered even by words starting with a silent h if the next sound is /i/.
- Because inglés functions as an adjective in Spanish, you must change it to the feminine form inglesa if it describes a feminine noun.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! What's up?
- Me llamo Antonio. Encantado de conocerle.My name is Antonio. Nice to meet you.
- Yo soy Ana. Encantada.I am Ana. Nice to meet you.
- Disculpe, ¿dónde puedo encontrar la oficina de turismo?Excuse me, where can I find the tourist office?
- Oye, ¿me puedes ayudar a encontrar mi teléfono?Hey, can you help me find my phone?
- Estudio español e inglés.I study Spanish and English.
- Necesito un libro de francés e inglés.I need a French and English book.
- Ella habla alemán e inglés muy bien.She speaks German and English very well.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are discussing their language classes at a cafe.
- Daniel¿Qué idiomas estudias en la universidad?What languages do you study at the university?
- LucíaEstudio italiano e inglés.I study Italian and English.
- Daniel¡Qué bien! Yo también estudio italiano e inglés.That's great! I also study Italian and English.
- Lucía¡Qué coincidencia, Daniel!What a coincidence, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, inglés, CC BY-SA 4.0.
