スペイン語
supeingo[sɨ̥pe̞ĩŋɡo̞]
In Japanese, the term for the Spanish language is スペイン語 (supeingo).
スペイン語 refers specifically to the Spanish language, the Romance language of Spain and the Americas.
Meaning: Romance language of Spain and the Americas (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by combining the country name with the suffix 語 (go), which indicates the language spoken in that country.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the language and the adjective for the country. Use スペイン語 when referring to the Spanish language itself, but use スペインの when you mean 'Spanish' as an adjective describing things from Spain, such as Spanish food.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate a language, the suffix 語 (go) is added to the name of the country.
How do you pronounce it?
supeingo
Did you know?
- The word スペイン is a loanword derived from the English word 'Spain' rather than the Spanish word 'España'.
- Because Japanese phonology lacks a 'v' sound, the Spanish word 'Valencia' is transcribed as バレンシア (Barenshia), affecting how speakers of スペイン語 perceive the pronunciation.
- If you see the word スペイン風 (Supein-fū) on a menu, it means 'Spanish-style' rather than 'Spanish'. This is used for dishes that are inspired by Spain but adapted for Japanese tastes.
Examples in context
- スペイン語は簡単です。Spanish is easy.This sentence shows how to say that Spanish is easy using スペイン語.Tatoeba #1556118 by bunbuku, translation #875821 by CK
- 彼はスペイン語がうまい。He is a good speaker of Spanish.This sentence describes someone who is good at speaking スペイン語.Tatoeba #113345 by bunbuku, translation #290328 by CN
- スペイン語も話しますよ。I also speak Spanish.This sentence is used to state that you also speak スペイン語.Tatoeba #10573600 by small_snow, translation #10573599 by DJ_Saidez
- イタリア語とスペイン語は似ているItalian and Spanish are similar
- スペイン語を勉強していますI am studying Spanish
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about language studies at a cafe.
- 健太 Kentaスペイン語を勉強しているんですか？Supeingo o benkyō shite iru n desu ka?Are you studying Spanish?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、スペイン語はとても楽しいですよ。Hai, Supeingo wa totemo tanoshii desu yo.Yes, Spanish is very fun.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんは、スペイン語が上手ですね。Misaki-san wa, Supeingo ga jōzu desu ne.Misaki, you are good at Spanish.
- 美咲 Misakiそんなことないですよ。Sonna koto nai desu yo.That's not true.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spanish” translations and entries スペイン語, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries スペイン語, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
