ovni
/ˈobni/masculine
The English phrase 'ufo' is translated into Spanish as ovni.
ovni is a masculine noun used to describe an unidentified flying object. While English speakers use the acronym UFO, Spanish speakers almost exclusively use the acronym OVNI.
Meaning: an unidentified flying object (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ovni is an acronym for objeto volador no identificado, which literally means 'unidentified flying object'.
Which one should you use?
Spanish speakers primarily use ovni. For the full, non-acronym version, you can use the phrase objeto volador no identificado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of South America, the colloquial term platillo volador may be interchanged with disco volador.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun ovni forms its plural by adding an 's', resulting in ovnis.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈobni/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking-speaking cultures, if you use the more literal 'platillo volador' instead of ovni, you might sound like you are describing a 1950s science fiction movie rather than a modern phenomenon.
- Unlike the English 'UFO' which is an initialism pronounced as individual letters, the Spanish acronym ovni is treated as a standard noun and pronounced as a single word.
- The term platillo volador literally means 'flying saucer' or 'flying small plate', referring to the shape of a dinner plate.
Examples in context
- Yo vi un OVNI.I saw a UFO.This sentence is useful for expressing that you saw a ovni.Tatoeba #1325983 by hayastan, translation #1322952 by CK
- ¿Qué es un ovni?What's a UFO?This sentence is useful for asking what a ovni is.Tatoeba #9763778 by Shishir, translation #9865290 by CK
- He visto un ovni antes.I have seen a UFO before.This sentence is useful for stating that you have seen a ovni in the past.Tatoeba #2058860 by Shishir, translation #255991 by CK
- Ayer vi un ovni en el cielo nocturno mientras caminaba por el parque.Yesterday, I saw a UFO in the night sky while walking through the park.
- ¿Crees en las naves extraterrestres y los platillos voladores?Do you believe in extraterrestrial ships and flying saucers?
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are looking at the night sky from their balcony.
- Javier¡Mira allá arriba, parece un ovni!Look up there, it looks like a ufo!
- LucíaNo creo que sea un ovni, Javier.I don't think it is a ufo, Javier.
- JavierPero se mueve muy rápido.But it is moving very fast.
- LucíaSeguro es solo un avión.It is surely just a plane.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ufo” translations and entries ovni, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
