espagnol
/ɛs.pa.ɲɔl/masculine
In French, the word for Spanish is espagnol. Wiktionary also lists castillan.
Meaning: Romance language of Spain and the Americas (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| espagnol | /ɛs.pa.ɲɔl/ /ɛs.pa.njɔl/ |
masculine |
| castillan | /kas.ti.jɑ̃/ | masculine |
The term refers to the Romance language of Spain and the Americas.
Which one should you use?
espagnol and castillan are masculine forms.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the masculine form is espagnol and the feminine form is espagnole. When using the word as a noun to refer to the language, it is common to use the definite article, such as in l'espagnol. You can also use the phrase la langue espagnole to emphasize the language aspect.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ɛs.pa.ɲɔl/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Unlike in English, the word for the language or the nationality in French is not capitalized unless it is used as a proper noun referring to a person (e.g., un Espagnol).
Did you know?
- The word espagnol is a doublet of the word épagneul, which refers to a specific breed of spaniel dog.
- While espagnol is the standard term, castillan is used in French specifically to refer to the Castilian dialect, reflecting a distinction between the national identity and the linguistic origin.
Examples in context
- La femme parle espagnol.The woman speaks Spanish.This sentence shows how to use espagnol to indicate the language someone speaks.Tatoeba #9558620 by Micsmithel, translation #463008 by lukaszpp
- Elle parle bien espagnol.She speaks Spanish well.This sentence demonstrates the use of espagnol when describing how well someone speaks the language.Tatoeba #590803 by qdii, translation #277721 by CN
- Elle me parla en espagnol.She spoke to me in Spanish.This sentence illustrates how to use espagnol when describing the medium of communication.Tatoeba #966301 by sacredceltic, translation #371581 by saeb
- Je parle espagnol.I speak Spanish.
- Elle étudie la littérature espagnole.She studies Spanish literature.
- Le professeur d'espagnol est très compétent.The Spanish teacher is very competent.
- L'espagnol est une langue magnifique.Spanish is a beautiful language.
- Le département d'espagnol propose des cours intensifs.The Spanish department offers intensive courses.
- J'adore apprendre la langue espagnole.I love learning the Spanish language.
- La bibliothèque possède de nombreux ouvrages en langue espagnole.The library has many books in the Spanish language.
- On va réviser l'espagnol ensemble ?Shall we study Spanish together?
- 231 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing language classes at a cafe.
- LéaEst-ce que tu étudies l'espagnol cette année ?Are you studying Spanish this year?
- HugoOui, je veux apprendre l'espagnol pour mon voyage.Yes, I want to learn Spanish for my trip.
- LéaC'est une très belle langue, l'espagnol.Spanish is a very beautiful language.
- HugoMerci, j'espère que mon espagnol sera correct.Thanks, I hope my Spanish will be correct.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spanish” translations and entries espagnol, castillan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries castillan, espagnol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
