pastún
/pasˈtun/masculine
The Spanish word for pashto is pastún. Wiktionary also lists pasto and pashto.
Meaning: official language of Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (name)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pastún | /pasˈtun/ | masculine |
| pasto | /ˈpasto/ | masculine |
| pashto | /pasto/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The term refers to the official language of Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Which one should you use?
pastún is the standard term used to refer to the Pashto language or a Pashtun person. In contrast, the forms pashto and pasto are often considered non-standard variations or anglicisms in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form pastún is a masculine noun and adjective used to refer to the language or the ethnicity.
How do you pronounce it?
/pasˈtun/
Did you know?
- While pastún refers to the Afghan language, the Spanish word pasto is a homonym that actually means 'fodder' or 'grass' for animals.
- The Spanish term pastún serves a double purpose as both the name of the language and the demonym for a person from that ethnic group.
Examples in context
- Él habla pastún con fluidez.He speaks Pashto fluently.
- El pastún es un idioma muy antiguo.Pashto is a very ancient language.
- Ella estudia el pastún en la universidad.She studies Pashto at the university.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a new student in their language class.
- Javier¿Sabes qué idioma habla el nuevo estudiante?Do you know what language the new student speaks?
- SofíaCreo que habla pastún.I think he speaks Pashto.
- Javier¡Qué interesante! Es un idioma muy difícil.How interesting! It is a very difficult language.
- SofíaSí, pero es muy hermoso.Yes, but it is very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pashto” translations and entries pastún, pasto, 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 pasto, pastún, CC BY-SA 4.0.
