rey
/ˈrei/
The Spanish word rey means king.
The word rey refers to a male monarch who rules a kingdom.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, rey becomes reyes. The feminine counterpart to the masculine rey is reina, which means queen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrei/
Did you know?
- While rey means king, the Spanish word for a 'king-sized' bed is typically cama king, borrowing the English word instead of using rey.
- Spanish speakers sometimes use rey as an affectionate slang term for a partner or a child, similar to calling someone 'sweetheart' or 'honey'.
- The word rey is an unexpected relative of the English word 'regal'. Both words share a common ancestor in the Latin word rēgem.
Examples in context
- El rey de España.The king of Spain.
- El rey Juan Carlos.King Juan Carlos.
- El rey vive en un palacio.The king lives in a palace.
- El rey de España es famoso.The king of Spain is famous.
- Esa película trata sobre un rey.That movie is about a king.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about a history book.
- Elena¿Quién es el rey en este libro?Who is the king in this book?
- DanielEs un rey muy valiente.He is a very brave king.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿conoces su historia?Daniel, do you know his story?
- DanielNo, pero quiero leer sobre él.No, but I want to read about him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rey, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rey, CC BY-SA 4.0.
