latino
/laˈtino/
The English phrase 'latino' is translated into Spanish as latino.
latino is a noun used to refer to a person from Latin America. While in English the term is often used broadly for people of Hispanic or Latin American descent, in Spanish it refers specifically to people from Latin America.
Meaning: person from Latin America (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is gendered. Use the feminine form latina when referring to a single woman. For a group of men or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural latinos. If you are referring exclusively to a group of women, use the feminine plural latinas. Additionally, latine is used as an informal, gender-neutral alternative to latino or latina.
How do you pronounce it?
/laˈtino/
Did you know?
- In some parts of the Spanish-speaking world, calling someone a latino might actually be seen as a way of referring to someone from a specific part of Italy rather than the Americas.
- In some contexts, using latino to describe a person from Brazil is common, even though Brazilians speak Portuguese rather than Spanish.
- The term latino is rarely used as a self-identifier in many Spanish-speaking countries, where people prefer their specific nationality, such as mexicano or colombiano.
Examples in context
- Ir a la escuela en los Estados Unidos me agringó hasta el punto de que casi olvidé cómo hablar español, y me la pasaba mejor con mis amigos blancos que con los latinos.Going to school in the United States whitewashed me to the point where I nearly forgot how to speak Spanish, and got along better with my white friends than my Latino ones.This sentence shows a comparison between the speaker's social circles using the form latino.Tatoeba #10709073 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10708800 by DJ_Saidez
- El museo alberga una colección de arte latinoamericano.The museum houses a collection of Latin American art.
- La población latina en esta ciudad es muy diversa.The Latino population in this city is very diverse.
- La comunidad Latinx está luchando por la igualdad de derechos.The Latinx community is fighting for equal rights.
- Él es un latino muy talentoso.He is a very talented Latino.
- Muchos latinos viven en esta ciudad.Many Latinos live in this city.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about a new student in their class.
- Alejandro¿Conoces al nuevo estudiante?Do you know the new student?
- MaríaSí, es un latino muy amable.Yes, he is a very kind Latino.
- AlejandroMe alegra que se haya unido a nosotros.I'm glad he joined us.
- MaríaÉl será un gran compañero para ti.He will be a great classmate for you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry latino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
