OTAN
/ˈotan/feminine
The English phrase NATO is translated into Spanish as OTAN.
OTAN is the acronym used to refer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It serves as the Spanish equivalent of the English acronym NATO.
Meaning: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (name)
Which one should you use?
While English speakers use the acronym NATO, Spanish speakers use the acronym OTAN, which is the Spanish translation of the organization's name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word OTAN is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈotan/
Did you know?
- The word nato in Spanish is also a common adjective meaning 'born' or 'natural', such as in the phrase un líder nato for 'a natural born leader'.
- While English speakers use the acronym 'NATO', Spanish speakers use OTAN because the word order is reversed to follow Spanish syntax. This stands for Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte instead of 'North Atlantic Treaty Organization'.
- Unlike many Spanish acronyms that are spelled out letter by letter, OTAN is treated as a phonetic word, similar to how 'NATO' is handled in English.
Examples in context
- ONU y OTAN son acrónimos de organizaciones internacionales.UN and NATO are acronyms of international organizations.This sentence is useful for identifying OTAN as an acronym for an international organization.Tatoeba #13704826 by DataFrame2026, translation #13704835 by DataFrame2026
- Portugal es miembro fundador de la OTAN y accedió a la CE (ahora la UE) en 1986.Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.This sentence is useful for noting that Portugal is a founding member of OTAN.Tatoeba #10027912 by manufrutos, translation #8905144 by The_World_Factbook
- El Presidente hizo referencia a los acuerdos de la Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte durante su discurso.The President referenced the agreements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during his speech.
- ¿Has escuchado las últimas noticias sobre la OTAN?Have you heard the latest news about NATO?
- La OTAN tiene su sede en Bruselas.NATO is headquartered in Brussels.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing international politics.
- Mateo¿Sabes qué países forman parte de la OTAN?Do you know which countries are part of NATO?
- LucíaSí, Estados Unidos y Francia son miembros.Yes, the United States and France are members.
- MateoMe pregunto si la OTAN intervendrá en este conflicto.I wonder if NATO will intervene in this conflict.
- LucíaEs probable que tomen una decisión pronto.It is likely they will make a decision soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nato” translations and entries OTAN, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
