no ficción
/no fiɡθjon/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase nonfiction is translated into Spanish as no ficción.
The term no ficción is used to refer to written works intended to give facts. A formal alternative is literatura de no ficción, which means nonfiction literature.
Meaning: written works intended to give facts (noun)
Which one should you use?
no ficción is the direct antonym of ficción (fiction).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun no ficción is feminine and is typically preceded by the feminine article la, as in la no ficción.
How do you pronounce it?
/no fiɡθjon/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking literary circles, the term ensayo (essay) is often used as a broader category that encompasses much of what English speakers call 'nonfiction'.
- While no ficción is the standard term, Spanish readers often use the term crónica for a specific style of nonfiction that blends journalistic reporting with literary techniques.
- Although no ficción is a direct translation, some purists in the Spanish language community occasionally argue that it is an anglicism and prefer descriptive phrases to define the genre.
Examples in context
- Me encanta leer libros de no ficciónI love reading nonfiction books
- Prefiero leer no ficción.I prefer to read nonfiction.
- Me gusta leer la no ficción.I like reading nonfiction.
- Esta sección es para la no ficción.This section is for nonfiction.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are browsing the books in a library.
- Lucía¿Buscas algo de no ficción, Mateo?Are you looking for some nonfiction, Mateo?
- MateoSí, quiero un libro de historia.Yes, I want a history book.
- LucíaLa no ficción está en ese pasillo.The nonfiction is in that aisle.
- MateoGracias, Lucía, voy para allá.Thanks, Lucía, I'm going there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nonfiction” translations and entries no ficción, 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.
