Puerto Rico
/ˌpweɾto ˈriko/masculine
Puerto Rico is the Spanish name for the territory of the United States of America in the Caribbean.
You may also encounter La Isla de Puerto Rico when specifically referring to the island itself, or the highly formal title El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico to refer to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Meaning: territory of the United States of America in the Caribbean (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name Puerto Rico literally means 'Rich Port'.
Which one should you use?
La Isla de Puerto Rico refers specifically to the island. El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico is the formal title for the Commonwealth. For informal written communication, the abbreviation PR is often used.
How does it change in a sentence?
Puerto Rico is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌpweɾto ˈriko/
Did you know?
- The phrase boricua is used by people from Puerto Rico to describe their national identity, derived from the indigenous Taíno name Borikén.
- The term 'rico' has a much broader range of meanings in Spanish than the English 'rich', and can also mean 'delicious' when used with food.
- Residents of Puerto Rico often refer to their home as La Isla del Encanto, which means 'The Island of Enchantment'.
Examples in context
- San Juan es la capital de Puerto Rico.San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico.This sentence is useful for identifying the capital of Puerto Rico.Tatoeba #7910026 by MarijnKp, translation #7909140 by MarijnKp
- Me encantaría visitar Puerto RicoI would love to visit Puerto Rico
- ¿Puedes recomendarme lugares para visitar en Puerto Rico?Can you recommend places to visit in Puerto Rico?
- Mi familia vive en Puerto Rico.My family lives in Puerto Rico.
- Ella quiere viajar a Puerto Rico.She wants to travel to Puerto Rico.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing travel plans.
- Javier¿Vas a visitar Puerto Rico este año?Are you going to visit Puerto Rico this year?
- SofíaSí, Javier, planeo ir en agosto.Yes, Javier, I plan to go in August.
- Javier¡Qué bueno! Es un lugar hermoso.That's great! It is a beautiful place.
- SofíaEstoy muy emocionada por el viaje.I am very excited about the trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “puerto rico” translations and entries Puerto Rico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
