protegido
/pɾoteˈxido/
The English phrase 'protege' is translated into Spanish as protegido.
The term protegido refers to a person who is guided and supported by a more experienced and influential person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is gender-marked. Use protegido for a male protege and protegida for a female protege. For plural forms, use protegidos when referring to a group of males or a mixed-gender group and use protegidas when referring exclusively to a group of female proteges.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoteˈxido/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking political circles, calling someone a protegido is actually a way to insult their talent. It suggests the person is a 'political creature' who holds a position solely because of their connections rather than their skill.
- The Spanish protegido is a direct descendant of the Latin 'protectus', which is the past participle of 'protegere'. This ancient root meaning 'to cover' or 'to shield' is why the word carries both the meaning of professional mentorship and physical safety.
- In certain formal or legal contexts in Spain, a protegido can refer to a ward of the state or someone under legal guardianship.
Examples in context
- Juan es mi protegido.Juan is my protege.
- Como profesor, asumo el papel de proteger a mis protegidos.As a teacher, I take on the role of protecting my proteges.
- Él es mi protegido en la empresa.He is my protégé at the company.
- La artista siempre cuida de su protegido.The artist always takes care of her protégé.
- El joven es un protegido de la academia.The young man is a protégé of the academy.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new intern at an architecture firm.
- Elena¿Es ese chico tu protegido?Is that boy your protégé?
- MateoSí, lo estoy ayudando con sus proyectos.Yes, I am helping him with his projects.
- ElenaSe nota que es un buen protegido.It shows that he is a good protégé.
- MateoGracias, tiene mucho talento.Thank you, he has a lot of talent.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry protegido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries protegido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
