tlacatl
[tɬaːkatɬ]
The English phrase 'man' is translated into Nahuatl as tlacatl. Wiktionary also lists oquichtli.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Nahuatl | IPA |
|---|---|
| tlacatl | [tɬaːkatɬ] (narrow) |
| oquichtli |
The word is used to refer to an adult male human.
Which one should you use?
While tlacatl refers to a man, the word oquichtli is used to mean woman and is often used in contrast to tlacatl.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural 'men' from tlacatl, the suffix -tin is often added, resulting in tlacatin.
Did you know?
- If you want to refer to a 'man' in a way that shows great respect, you might add the suffix -tzin to the word, turning tlacatl into tlacatzin.
- Because Nahuatl is an agglutinative language, you can attach many more descriptors to tlacatl to create a single, long word that describes a man's entire personality.
- While tlacatl is the standard term, ancient Nahuatl texts often use metaphoric expressions involving 'sun' or 'fire' to describe the vitality of a man.
Examples in context
- In tlacatl amo quinequi.That man does not want it.
Example conversation
Citlali and José are looking at a person in the distance.
- Citlali¿Cualli tlacatl yehuatl?Is that a good man?
- JoséMoqui, tlacatl cualli yehuatl.Yes, he is a good man.
- Citlali¿Tlen quiahuia in tlacatl?Why is the man crying?
- JoséNehuatl amo noczincan.I do not know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries tlacatl, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
