protestante
/pɾotesˈtante/feminine, masculine
The English word 'protestant' is protestante in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists salvacuatro.
Meaning: someone who is a member of such a denomination (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| protestante | /pɾotesˈtante/ | feminine, masculine |
| salvacuatro | /salbakwatɾo/ (from spelling rules) | Paraguay, feminine, masculine |
The term is used to refer to a person who is a member of a Protestant denomination. It can function as a noun to identify the person or as an adjective to describe things pertaining to these denominations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Paraguay, the term salvacuatro is used to refer to a Protestant. In Latin American countries, evangélico/a is frequently used informally to refer to Protestants.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word protestante is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To form the plural, use protestantes.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾotesˈtante/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of protestante comes from testis, the same root used for the English word 'witness'.
- The word protestante can be ambiguous in Spanish because it shares the same form as a person who is simply staging a political protest.
- In many Spanish speaking countries, evangélico is the preferred term because protestante can sound like someone who is simply 'protesting' or causing a disturbance.
Examples in context
- En 1807, Robert Morrison, el primer misionero protestante británico en China, llegó a Cantón.In 1807, Robert Morrison, the first British Protestant missionary to China arrived in Guangzhou.This sentence uses protestante to describe a missionary.Tatoeba #1763982 by teskmon, translation #898051 by eastasiastudent
- No creo en el credo profesado por la Iglesia judía, por la Iglesia romana, por la Iglesia griega, por la Iglesia turca, por la Iglesia protestante, ni por cualquier otra Iglesia que conozca.I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church that I know of.This sentence uses protestante to describe a church.Tatoeba #2583356 by hayastan, translation #1529837 by teapot
- Mi vecino es protestante y asiste a una iglesia evangélica.My neighbor is a Protestant and attends an evangelical church.
- Él es un protestante muy dedicado.He is a very dedicated Protestant.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their different religious backgrounds.
- Sofía¿Tu familia es protestante, Mateo?Is your family Protestant, Mateo?
- MateoSí, mi familia es protestante desde hace años.Yes, my family has been Protestant for years.
- SofíaEntiendo, yo crecí en una familia católica.I see, I grew up in a Catholic family.
- MateoEs interesante ver cómo cada uno es diferente.It is interesting to see how each of us is different.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “protestant” translations and entries protestante, 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 protestante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
