lengua romance
/lenɡwa ɾomanθe/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "romance language" is translated into Spanish as lengua romance or lengua románica.
Meaning: language descended from Latin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lengua romance | /lenɡwa ɾomanθe/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /lenɡwa ɾomanse/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| lengua románica | /lenɡwa ɾomanika/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
Both terms refer to a language that has descended from Latin.
Which one should you use?
lengua romance is a common way to refer to this linguistic group, whereas lengua románica is the more precise technical term used in linguistics.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the form lengua románica, the word románica is an adjective that must agree in gender with the feminine noun lengua.
How do you pronounce it?
/lenɡwa ɾomanθe/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers may use the term lenguas romances to describe a family that includes not only Spanish and French but also Romanian, which is spoken in Eastern Europe.
- While we use 'romance' in English to describe a genre of love stories, in Spanish, the word romance can also refer to a specific type of narrative poem or a lyrical song.
- While lengua románica is the technical term, the word románico is more commonly used in Spanish to describe a style of medieval architecture known in English as 'Romanesque'.
Examples in context
- El portugués es una lengua romance.Portuguese is a romance language.This sentence is useful for stating that Portuguese is a lengua romance.Tatoeba #4623151 by Shishir, translation #3667583 by andrewgtreantos
- ¿El alemán es una lengua romance?Is German a Romance language?This sentence is useful for asking if German is a lengua romance.Tatoeba #4155240 by mervert1, translation #4153582 by mervert1
- Me encanta el idioma portugués, y me arriesgo a decir que es la más bella lengua románica existente.I love the Portuguese language and I would dare to say that it's the most beautiful romance language to exist.This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about the beauty of the Portuguese language using the form lengua románica.Tatoeba #1528095 by alexmarcelo, translation #13592021 by araneo
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at a library discussing linguistics.
- Daniel¿Sabes si el italiano es una lengua romance?Do you know if Italian is a romance language?
- ElenaSí, Daniel, lo es.Yes, Daniel, it is.
- DanielElena, me parece fascinante su origen.Elena, I find its origin fascinating.
- ElenaEs cierto, tienen raíces comunes.That's true, they have common roots.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “romance language” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
