puertorriqueño
/pweɾtoriˈkeɲo/
The English phrase "puerto rican" is translated into Spanish as puertorriqueño.
The term is used as an adjective to describe anything pertaining to Puerto Rico, or as a noun to refer to a person from Puerto Rico.
Meaning: pertaining to Puerto Rico (adj)
Which one should you use?
While puertorriqueño is the standard term, boricua is a common, culturally-charged term used by Puerto Ricans to refer to themselves.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some rural areas of Puerto Rico, locals may refer to themselves or others from the countryside as jíbaro.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on gender and number: use puertorriqueña for a feminine person or adjective, puertorriqueños for masculine plural and puertorriqueñas for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/pweɾtoriˈkeɲo/
Did you know?
- The Taíno word Borikén, which gave rise to boricua, is believed to mean 'land of brave lords' or 'land of the golden eye'.
- The term boricua is derived from Borikén, the name given to the island by the indigenous Taíno people before Spanish colonization.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, including Puerto Rico, nationality-based adjectives like puertorriqueño are often not capitalized when used in a sentence.
Examples in context
- El embajador es puertorriqueño.The ambassador is Puerto Rican.
- La conferencista es una persona de Puerto Rico.The speaker is a person from Puerto Rico.
- ¡Ese artista es bien boricua!That artist is very Puerto Rican!
- ¡Mira a ese boricucho cantando salsa en la calle!Look at that Puerto Rican guy singing salsa in the street!
- Él tiene un acento puertorriqueño muy marcado.He has a very strong Puerto Rican accent.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about their favorite foods.
- ElenaMe gusta mucho el arroz puertorriqueño.I really like Puerto Rican rice.
- JavierA mí también, es delicioso.Me too, it is delicious.
- ElenaTengo un amigo puertorriqueño que lo cocina.I have a Puerto Rican friend who cooks it.
- Javier¡Qué suerte tienes, Elena!How lucky you are, Elena!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “puerto rican” translations and entries puertorriqueño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
