Estados Unidos
/esˌtados uˈnidos/masculine, plural
The English phrase 'united states' is translated into Spanish as Estados Unidos.
Estados Unidos is used to refer to the country in North America.
Meaning: country in North America (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Estados, which is the plural of estado (state) and Unidos, which is the plural of unido (united).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variant Estados Unidos de Norteamérica is used often in Mexico and Central America.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a masculine plural noun phrase and is typically used with the definite article los. However, when indicating origin with the preposition de, the definite article is often omitted, such as in the phrase de Estados Unidos.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˌtados uˈnidos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular article el instead of the plural los because they treat the country as a single entity.
Did you know?
- The phrase Estados Unidos is a linguistic calque, meaning it was created by translating the English 'United States' word for word into Spanish.
- Using norteamericano to refer specifically to the US can cause misunderstandings in Canada and Mexico, as residents of those countries also consider themselves norteamericanos.
- While Estados Unidos is the official name, people in some Latin American countries may use the term el imperio (the empire) in political or critical conversations to refer to the country.
Examples in context
- ¿Eres de Estados Unidos?Are you from the United States?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's country of origin using Estados Unidos.Tatoeba #2135904 by marcelostockle, translation #773435 by marloncori
- Los Estados Unidos apesta.The United States sucks.This sentence shows the use of Estados Unidos in a casual or critical context.Tatoeba #11558887 by ecorralest101, translation #8021194 by shekitten
- Obama es de Estados Unidos.Obama is from the United States.This sentence demonstrates how to state someone's origin from Estados Unidos.Tatoeba #7251944 by Juanpa, translation #13958899 by IdiomHunter
- La relación comercial entre México y los Estados Unidos ha crecido.The trade relationship between Mexico and the United States has grown.
- 226 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are discussing their travel plans.
- SofíaQuiero ir de vacaciones a Estados Unidos.I want to go on vacation to the United States.
- Daniel¡Qué bien! ¿Qué ciudad quieres visitar?That's great! Which city do you want to visit?
- SofíaMe gustaría visitar Nueva York en Estados Unidos.I would like to visit New York in the United States.
- DanielEs una ciudad muy bonita, Sofía.It is a very beautiful city, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “united states” translations and entries Estados Unidos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Estados Unidos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
