protagonista
/pɾotaɡoˈnista/feminine, masculine
The English word 'protagonist' is translated into Spanish as protagonista.
The term refers to the main character.
Meaning: main character (noun)
Which one should you use?
While protagonista is the standard term, you may also use personaje principal or personaje central to mean the same thing. In relaxed, informal conversations, you might hear the shortened form prota.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Chile, the terms prota or prota(o) are used as substitutes for protagonista. In Mexico or Spain, the terms personaje principal and personaje central may be used interchangeably with protagonista.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is both masculine and feminine. To form the plural, add -s to the end to get los protagonistas.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾotaɡoˈnista/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling someone a prota can be a sarcastic way to tell them they are acting like they are the center of the universe.
- The word protagonista is often used in Spanish news reporting to describe a person involved in a crime or a disaster, regardless of whether they were the 'hero'.
- In the context of soap operas, known as telenovelas, the protagonista is often referred to as the galán if they are the male lead and romantic interest.
Examples in context
- ¿Quién es el protagonista?Who is the protagonist?This sentence is useful for asking who the protagonista is.Tatoeba #11831834 by adaycito, translation #13376121 by mexicanhere
- Así que, ¿qué pasa al final con el protagonista?So what happens to the protagonist at the end?This sentence is useful for asking about the fate of the protagonista at the end of a story.Tatoeba #1689660 by marcelostockle, translation #3765019 by cromwellt
- El protagonista tiene un carácter quijotesco y apabullante. Es más bien ridículo pero, a medida que avanza la novela, el lector comienza a sentir ternura por él.The protagonist has a quixotic and overbearing character. He's rather ridiculous, but as the novel progresses, the reader begins to feel affection for him.This sentence describes the character traits of a protagonista in a novel.Tatoeba #10286105 by Seael, translation #12203843 by Miktsoanit
- El protagonista de la obra de teatro sorprendió al público con su actuación.The protagonist of the play amazed the audience with his performance.
- El personaje principal de la novela es un valiente detective.The main character of the novel is a brave detective.
- El personaje protagónico de esa serie es muy carismático.The main character of that TV show is very charismatic.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are discussing a book they just finished.
- Javier¿Te gustó la protagonista de la novela?Did you like the protagonist of the novel?
- SofíaSí, ella es una protagonista muy compleja.Yes, she is a very complex protagonist.
- JavierEs cierto, su evolución es increíble.It's true, her evolution is incredible.
- SofíaTotalmente, me encantó su historia.Totally, I loved her story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “protagonist” translations and entries protagonista, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
