peruano
/peˈɾwano/masculine
In Spanish, the English phrase 'peruvian' is translated as peruano.
The word peruano is a demonym used to describe a person from Peru. Note that in Spanish, demonyms are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Meaning: person from Peru (noun)
Which one should you use?
The standard form for a Peruvian is peruano. While peruviano exists, it is an extremely rare or archaic variant found primarily in older texts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on gender and number. Use peruano for a male and peruana for a female. For a group of men or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural peruanos. For a group consisting only of women, use the feminine plural peruanas. You may also use the phrase originario de Perú (masculine) or originaria de Perú (feminine) to say someone is 'originating from Peru'.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈɾwano/
Did you know?
- The term peruano is often paired with the word cholo, which has evolved from a derogatory term to a complex identity marker of pride and indigenous heritage for many Peruvians.
- In Peru, the word peruano is frequently used to describe the 'peruvian' spirit or identity, often linked to the concept of peruanidad, a word that describes the essence of being Peruvian.
- In historical contexts, the term peruano was once used more broadly to describe people from the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included vast areas of South America beyond the modern borders of Peru.
Examples in context
- Hector es de Perú. Es peruano.Hector is from Peru. He is Peruvian.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's nationality using peruano.Tatoeba #1110395 by alexmarcelo, translation #1110394 by Miktsoanit
- Necesito conocer más amigos peruanos.I need to meet more Peruvian friends.This sentence shows how to use peruano to describe a group of friends.Tatoeba #4283865 by mervert1, translation #4283864 by mervert1
- El peruano Esteban Canal (1896-1981) ganó el título de gran maestro de ajedrez en 1977, ¡a la edad de ochenta y un años!Peruvian Esteban Canal (1896-1981) won the title of chess grandmaster in 1977, at the age of eighty-one!This sentence demonstrates the use of peruano when referring to a specific person in a biographical context.Tatoeba #10579368 by carlosalberto, translation #10579366 by carlosalberto
- La embajadora peruana asistió a la conferencia internacional.The Peruvian ambassador attended the international conference.
- ¿Sabías que los paisas y los peruanos compartimos muchas costumbres similares?Did you know that Paisas and Peruvians share many similar customs?
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about a new neighbor.
- Lucía¿Él es de Lima?Is he from Lima?
- AlejandroSí, es peruano.Yes, he is Peruvian.
- Lucía¡Qué bueno!That's great!
- AlejandroEs muy amable.He is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peruvian” translations and entries peruano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
