Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| soldado | /solˈdado/ | |
| militar | /miliˈtaɾ/ | masculine |
| milico | /miˈliko/ | colloquial, masculine |
| áscari | /askaɾi/ (from spelling rules) | Morocco, masculine |
| cuilío | /kwiˈlio/ | masculine |
The term is used to describe a member of an army.
Which one should you use?
soldado refers specifically to a soldier. In contrast, militar is a broader and more formal term used for any member of the armed forces, often translated as military personnel. If you want to specify a private soldier, you can use the phrase soldado raso.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
militar is a formal term for a member of the armed forces. soldado is the standard, neutral term. milico is a colloquial and often slightly derogatory or highly informal way to refer to a soldier or a military man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use legionario to refer to a soldier, particularly one serving in the Spanish Legion. In Morocco, the term áscari is used to refer to a soldier or colonial troops. In some Latin American regions, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, the slang term milico is commonly used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun soldado can be changed to the feminine form soldada to refer to a female soldier. Additionally, the related word militar can function as a verb meaning to serve as a soldier.
How do you pronounce it?
/solˈdado/
Did you know?
- While militar is usually a noun, it is also a verb in Spanish. To militar means to be an active member of a political party or a social movement, not just the army.
- The word soldado is derived from sueldo, which means 'salary'. Historically, it referred to someone who was paid a fixed sum of money to fight.
- The term áscari is used for colonial troops in Morocco and comes from the Arabic word for 'soldier', showing the linguistic blend of Spanish and Arabic in North Africa.
Examples in context
- No soy un soldado.I'm not a soldier.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are not a soldier.Tatoeba #1638649 by marcelostockle, translation #1638263 by Spamster
- Tom se hizo soldado.Tom became a soldier.This sentence is useful for describing that Tom became a soldier.Tatoeba #3893231 by gianich73, translation #2956092 by CK
- El hombre es un soldado.The man is a soldier.This sentence is useful for stating that the man is a soldier.Tatoeba #2223682 by Shishir, translation #8160907 by magnificentgoddess
- El soldado valiente protege su paísThe brave soldier protects their country
- Los militares marcharon en formaciónThe soldiers marched in formation
- El soldado marchaba al ritmo del tamborThe soldier marched to the beat of the drum
- Mi hermana es militar y sirve en la fuerza aéreaMy sister is a soldier and serves in the air force
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maria is asking Javier about his grandfather's profession.
- María¿Qué hacía tu abuelo?What did your grandfather do?
- JavierÉl era un soldado muy valiente.He was a very brave soldier.
- María¿En qué ejército sirvió?In which army did he serve?
- JavierFue soldado durante muchos años.He was a soldier for many years.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soldier” translations and entries soldado, militar, milico, cuilío, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries militar, soldado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
