centrocampista
/θentɾokamˈpista/feminine, masculine
The Spanish word for midfielder is centrocampista. Wiktionary also lists mediocampista.
Meaning: player (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| centrocampista | /θentɾokamˈpista/ /sentɾokamˈpista/ |
feminine, masculine |
| mediocampista | /medjokampista/ (from spelling rules) | feminine, masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
centrocampista is a compound of centro (center) and campo (field) plus the suffix -ista (player/specialist). mediocampista is a compound of medio (middle) and campo (field) plus the suffix -ista (player/specialist).
Which one should you use?
centrocampista and mediocampista are used interchangeably. However, centrocampista is slightly more common in certain regions and in media coverage.
How does it change in a sentence?
These nouns are of common gender, meaning the word itself does not change whether you are referring to a man or a woman. Only the accompanying article changes (e.g., el or la). To form the plural, add -s to the end, resulting in centrocampistas.
How do you pronounce it?
/θentɾokamˈpista/
Did you know?
- While centrocampista is used globally, you will hear volante used for midfielder in several Latin American countries, which literally means 'flying' or 'steering wheel'.
- Spanish distinguishes between the centrocampista defensivo and the centrocampista ofensivo, often referring to the latter as the enganche, meaning 'the hook'.
- The suffix -ista in centrocampista traces its roots back to the Ancient Greek suffix -tḗs used to denote a person who performs a specific action.
Examples in context
- El centrocampista se ha torcido el tobillo.The midfielder has twisted his ankle.This sentence shows how to use centrocampista when describing an injury.Tatoeba #9421264 by ignacio, translation #10360532 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Lionel Messi es un talentoso centrocampista argentino.Lionel Messi is a talented Argentine midfielder.
- El mediocampista uruguayo anotó el gol de la victoria.The Uruguayan midfielder scored the winning goal.
- En el último partido, el volante mexicano mostró gran habilidad.In the last match, the Mexican midfielder displayed great skill.
- El centrocampista brasileño es muy técnico y creativo.The Brazilian midfielder is very technical and creative.
- Jugaremos con un medio de contención y dos volantes de ataque.We will play with a defensive midfielder and two attacking midfielders.
- Ella es una centrocampista muy inteligente.She is a very intelligent midfielder.
- El nuevo centrocampista llegó hoy al club.The new midfielder arrived at the club today.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing their local soccer team.
- ElenaMateo, ¿quién es el nuevo centrocampista?Mateo, who is the new midfielder?
- MateoSe llama Luis y es muy rápido.His name is Luis and he is very fast.
- ElenaParece que juega muy bien.It seems like he plays very well.
- MateoSí, es un centrocampista excelente.Yes, he is an excellent midfielder.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “midfielder” translations and entries centrocampista, mediocampista, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centrocampista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
