mafia
/ˈmafja/feminine
The Spanish word for mafia is mafia.
mafia refers to a crime syndicate.
Meaning: a crime syndicate (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal expression El hampa is used in both Spain and Latin America.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmafja/
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American contexts, people may use the phrase hacer una mafia to mean pulling a string or using a personal favor to get something done.
- Spanish has a specific term, estraperlo, which refers to the black market activities often run by a mafia during the mid-20th century in Spain.
- In some Latin American contexts, if you call a group of friends a mafia, you are not accusing them of crime, but rather using a slang way to describe a very close-knit, inseparable clique.
Examples in context
- Formo parte de la mafia alfabética.I take part of the alphabet mafia.Tatoeba #9726617 by mialiesperantistas, translation #9726614 by mialiesperantistas
- El amor es como la mafia, una vez que estás dentro ya no puedes salir.Love is like the Mafia: once you're in it, you can't get out.This sentence uses mafia as a simile to compare love to a criminal organization.Tatoeba #5288520 by ecorralest101, translation #12203844 by Miktsoanit
- Definitivamente, la mafia italiana tiene una rica historia.Definitely, the Italian mafia has a rich history.
- La mafia controla todo en esta ciudad.The mafia controls everything in this city.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are watching a crime drama on TV.
- Sofía¿Crees que esa mafia es real?Do you think that mafia is real?
- JavierNo lo sé, pero da miedo.I don't know, but it's scary.
- SofíaJavier, la serie es muy intensa.Javier, the series is very intense.
- JavierSí, Sofía, es muy dramática.Yes, Sofia, it is very dramatic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mafia” translations and entries mafia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
