portoricain
/pɔʁ.tɔ.ʁi.kɛ̃/
The English phrase "puerto rican" is translated into French as portoricain.
The word portoricain is an adjective used to describe things pertaining to Puerto Rico. It can also function as a noun to refer to a person from Puerto Rico.
Meaning: pertaining to Puerto Rico (adj)
Which one should you use?
The standard form is the single word portoricain, though you may occasionally see the hyphenated version porto-ricain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the term Porto-ricain(e) may be used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as a noun to refer to a person, the first letter must be capitalized, such as in Portoricain for a man. To create the feminine form, add an e to the end of the masculine form to get portoricaine or Portoricaine.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔʁ.tɔ.ʁi.kɛ̃/. The word has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, if you use portoricain as an adjective to describe a person's nationality, it is not capitalized, whereas if you use it as a noun to name the person, it must be capitalized.
- When referring to the island's cuisine, French speakers will use the adjective form portoricaine (feminine) because the word 'cuisine' is feminine, even if the person they are talking about is male.
- Because the French word portoricain is a single, uninterrupted term, it lacks the rhythmic break that English speakers use when saying 'Puerto Rican'.
Examples in context
- Elle est portoricaine et habite à Paris.She is Puerto Rican and lives in Paris.
- Il est portoricain et travaille à Bruxelles.He is Puerto Rican and works in Brussels.
- J'ai un ami portoricain qui fait de délicieuses empanadas.I have a Puerto Rican friend who makes delicious empanadas.
- J'adore la musique portoricaine.I love Puerto Rican music.
- Il a un accent portoricain très marqué.He has a very strong Puerto Rican accent.
- Nous avons mangé un plat portoricain délicieux.We ate a delicious Puerto Rican dish.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing music at a cafe.
- ChloéTu connais la culture portoricaine ?Do you know Puerto Rican culture?
- HugoOui, mon ami est portoricain.Yes, my friend is Puerto Rican.
- ChloéC'est génial, j'aime beaucoup son pays.That's great, I like his country a lot.
- HugoC'est vrai, c'est un endroit magnifique.It's true, it is a magnificent place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “puerto rican” translations and entries portoricain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
