Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| Espanyol | /ʔespanˈjol/ (Standard Tagalog) /ʔespanˈjol/ |
| Kastila | /kasˈtilaʔ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| Kastelyano |
The term refers to the Romance language of Spain and the Americas. Depending on the context, you may also see terms like Kastila or Kastelyano.
Which one should you use?
While Espanyol can refer to either the language or the people, Kastila is often used specifically to refer to the Spanish language or to the historical Spanish people in a more traditional or literary context. For technical discussions regarding the linguistic branch of Spanish, use Kastelyano, which is the direct equivalent of the word Castilian.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Espanyol functions as both a noun (the language) and an adjective (of Spanish origin) without changing its form. To express the action of speaking Spanish, you use the prefix mag- with the noun, resulting in mag-Espanyol or mag-Kastila. Additionally, Kastilain, Espanyol and Kastila can all be used as adjectives meaning of or pertaining to Spain.
Did you know?
- The word Kastila may have reached Tagalog via Arabic, where the term qasāṭila was used to describe 'Castilians'.
Examples in context
- Bakit mo tinuruan ng Espanyol ang aso?Why did you teach the dog Spanish?This sentence shows how to use the form Espanyol in the context of teaching a language.Tatoeba #11575345 by qwertzu, translation #10061524 by DJ_Saidez
- "Kastila ka ba?" "Hindi, pero marunong akong mag-Kastila.""Are you Spanish?" "No, but I can speak Spanish."This sentence demonstrates using the form Kastila to describe speaking the language and being a Spanish person.Tatoeba #11640931 by qwertzu, translation #10113916 by DJ_Saidez
- Mga wikang katulad ng Pranses, Italyano, at Kastila'y galing sa Latin.Such languages as French, Italian and Spanish come from Latin.This sentence uses the form Kastila to show the linguistic relationship between different languages.Tatoeba #1812121 by nonong, translation #34152 by Objectivesea
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student asks her teacher about a language course.
- RicardoGusto kong matuto ng Espanyol.I want to learn Spanish.
- AngelaMaganda ang kursong Espanyol para sa iyo.The Spanish course is good for you.
- RicardoMahirap ba ang Espanyol?Is Spanish difficult?
- AngelaHindi, dahil marami itong katulad sa Tagalog.No, because it has many similarities to Tagalog.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spanish” translations and entries Espanyol, Kastila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Espanyol, Kastila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
