refugio
/reˈfuxjo/masculine
The English word refuge is refugio in Spanish.
Refugio refers to a place providing safety, protection or shelter. It is the most common and widely recognized term for refuge and is used in official contexts like legal and bureaucratic matters.
Meaning: place providing safety, protection or shelter (noun)
Which one should you use?
While refugio is the standard term, other words may be used depending on the context. Santuario can be used as a formal term for refuge, primarily associated with religious or sacred contexts and asilo is a term often used in legal contexts to refer to a place of refuge or asylum.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related verb refugiarse means to protect, to take refuge or to return to a place of shelter. This verb is reflexive, meaning it is used with reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se). The plural form of refugio is refugios.
How do you pronounce it?
/reˈfuxjo/
Did you know?
- In an animal welfare context, a shelter for homeless pets is called a refugio de animales, whereas a human shelter for the homeless is often called an albergue.
- In Spanish, the word asilo can mean 'refuge' or 'asylum', but it is also the common term for a nursing home or elderly care facility.
- The Spanish word refugio shares a common ancestor with the English word 'fugitive'. Both stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to flee' or 'to run away'.
Examples in context
- El patriotismo es el último refugio de un sinvergüenza.Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.This sentence uses refugio to describe a metaphorical last resort.Tatoeba #5664314 by albrusgher, translation #2514000 by Dejo
- La ambición es el último refugio del fracaso.Ambition is the last refuge of the failure.Tatoeba #1785926 by inastar, translation #1785924 by inastar
- La consistencia es el último refugio del poco imaginativo.Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.Tatoeba #1786928 by inastar, translation #551969 by Dejo
- Necesitamos encontrar un refugio seguro para los animales perdidos.We need to find a safe refuge for the lost animals.
- Luis encontró refugio en sus amigos después de una ruptura difícil.Luis found refuge in his friends after a difficult breakup.
- El santuario protege a las especies en peligro de extinción.The sanctuary protects endangered species.
- Encuentra tu refugio interior donde puedas encontrar paz y tranquilidad.Find your inner refuge where you can find peace and tranquility.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are hiking and the weather turns bad.
- Elena¡Está empezando a llover muy fuerte!It is starting to rain very hard!
- AlejandroNecesitamos encontrar un refugio pronto.We need to find a refuge soon.
- ElenaMira, hay una cueva pequeña allí.Look, there is a small cave over there.
- AlejandroEse será un buen refugio para nosotros.That will be a good refuge for us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “refuge” translations and entries refugio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries refugio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
