latina
/latina/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'latina' is translated into Spanish as latina, referring to a woman or girl who originates from or has ancestry from Latin America.
Which one should you use?
Use latina specifically when referring to a female person. In contrast, latino refers to a male or a mixed-gender group.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form of the adjective or noun is latino. To refer to a group of women, use the plural form latinas.
How do you pronounce it?
/latina/
Did you know?
- The root of latina refers to Latium, a small region in ancient Italy where Latin was spoken, meaning the word describes a linguistic heritage rather than a specific original territory in the Americas.
- The term latina excludes women from Brazil, who are brasileiras. Although Brazil is in Latin America, the linguistic divide between Spanish and Portuguese often creates a cultural distinction in how these labels are applied.
- In recent years, some people use the gender-neutral term latinx or latine to include non-binary individuals, avoiding the strict masculine latino or feminine latina binary.
Examples in context
- María es una mujer latinoamericana muy talentosa.María is a very talented Latin American woman.
- Carmen es una mujer latina de principios fuertes.Carmen is a Latina woman with strong principles.
- ¡Ella es Ana! Es una amiga latina muy divertida.This is Ana! She's a very funny Latina friend.
- Mi vecina, Lucía, la chica latina del tercer piso, siempre tiene excelentes recomendaciones.My neighbor, Lucía, the Latina girl on the third floor, always has great recommendations.
- Ella es una artista latina muy famosa.She is a very famous Latina artist.
- Mi vecina es latina.My neighbor is Latina.
- Busco una actriz latina para el papel.I am looking for a Latina actress for the role.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing a new student in their class.
- Sofía¿Sabes si la nueva estudiante es latina?Do you know if the new student is Latina?
- MateoSí, ella es latina.Yes, she is Latina.
- Sofía¡Qué bueno! Me gustaría conocerla.That's great! I would like to meet her.
- MateoSeguro que te caerá bien, Sofía.I'm sure you will like her, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
