rey de
/rei de/from spelling rules
The English phrase "king of" is translated into Spanish as rey de.
For a more formal way to emphasize a monarch's role, you can use Monarca de. In an informal or metaphorical sense, one might use the phrase El rey del mambo to describe someone who excels at something specific.
How does it change in a sentence?
When rey de is followed by a masculine singular noun starting with el (such as mundo), the de and el contract into del. If the noun following rey de is a feminine plural noun, no contraction occurs between de and the article.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the term rey can be used as a romantic term of endearment for a partner or a child, similar to 'sweetheart' or 'honey'.
- The phrase rey de is frequently used in the name of traditional Spanish desserts, such as the Roscón de Reyes, eaten on Epiphany.
- Because rey comes from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₃rḗǵs', it is a distant cousin to the English word 'right', as both originally referred to the qualities of a ruler.
Examples in context
- ¡Soy el rey del mundo!I'm the king of the world!Tatoeba #623626 by Shishir, translation #623336 by szaby78
- Tengo el rey de copas.I have the king of hearts.This sentence uses rey de in the context of a deck of cards.Tatoeba #3692892 by hayastan, translation #13630871 by araneo
- Saul fue rey de Israel.Saul was the king of Israel.This sentence uses rey de to describe a historical ruler.Tatoeba #2900892 by hayastan, translation #10841371 by Luornu
- El rey de EspañaThe king of Spain
- El rey de InglaterraThe king of England
- Felipe VI es el rey de EspañaFelipe VI is the king of Spain
- El rey de la casa es el gatoThe king of the house is the cat
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are discussing a movie about royalty.
- MaríaÉl es el rey de España.He is the king of Spain.
- DanielParece un hombre muy amable.He seems like a very kind man.
- María¿Quién es el rey de Inglaterra?Who is the king of England?
- DanielNo lo recuerdo ahora, María.I don't remember right now, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, rey, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
