latín
/laˈtin/
The phrase for "latin language" in Spanish is latín.
The term refers to the ancient language spoken in Rome and used in early Christian church texts.
Which one should you use?
While latín is the standard term, you may encounter lengua latina or idioma latín when a more formal tone is required to refer to the language itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
latín is a masculine noun. When referring to the language in a general sense, it is common to use the definite article to say el latín.
How do you pronounce it?
/laˈtin/
Did you know?
- When a Spanish speaker says someone is hablando en latín, they are not referring to the ancient language but are accusing the person of using overly complex or pretentious speech to confuse others.
- The Spanish word latín is closely related to the word ladino, which refers to the specific variety of Spanish spoken by Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492.
- While latín is the language of the past, Spanish speakers use the adjective latino to describe people and cultures from Latin America, shifting the meaning from a specific language to a broad regional identity.
Examples in context
- Mi profesor de idioma latín me enseña sobre la historia antigua.My Latin language teacher teaches me about ancient history.
- Desde pequeño, me ha fascinado el latín y su influencia en las lenguas romances.Since I was young, I have been fascinated by Latin and its influence on Romance languages.
- El latín es una lengua muy importante para el estudio de otras disciplinas.Latin is a very important language for the study of other disciplines.
- Estudio el latín en la universidad.I study Latin at the university.
- El latín es la base de muchas lenguas.Latin is the basis of many languages.
- Ella lee textos antiguos en latín.She reads ancient texts in Latin.
Example conversation
A student and a professor are talking in a library.
- María¿Te gusta el latín, Daniel?Do you like Latin, Daniel?
- DanielSí, me parece un idioma fascinante.Yes, I find it a fascinating language.
- MaríaYo prefiero las lenguas modernas.I prefer modern languages.
- DanielEs comprensible, María.That is understandable, María.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry latín, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries latín, CC BY-SA 4.0.
