Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rico | /ˈriko/ | |
| adinerado | /adineˈɾado/ | |
| acomodado | /akomoˈdado/ | |
| fichudo | /fit͡ʃudo/ (from spelling rules) | Central America, masculine |
While rico is the most common and direct way to express being rich or wealthy, other terms like opulento can be used to emphasize luxury and opulence.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term adinerado is derived from dinero (money) and literally means 'having money'.
Which one should you use?
Rico is the most common and direct way to say rich or wealthy. In contrast, acomodado serves as a euphemism to politely describe someone who is well-off or belongs to a comfortable social class. For a more formal tone, you may use adinerado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Central America, the masculine term fichudo is used. Additionally, the term acaudalado is used mainly in Spain and in certain Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree in gender with the person being described: use rico for a man and rica for a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈriko/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that when referring to food, rico can also mean 'tasty' or 'delicious'.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone rico or rica can be a flirtatious way to describe them as 'attractive' or 'sexy'.
- The term acaudalado is quite poetic, as it is derived from the word caudal, which refers to the 'flow' or 'volume' of a river.
- The word rico shares a common ancestor with the English word 'rich', but its roots trace back to a Germanic word meaning 'mighty' or 'powerful'.
Examples in context
- Es rico y poderoso.He's wealthy and powerful.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is both wealthy and powerful using rico.Tatoeba #8651540 by diegohn, translation #2756730 by Hybrid
- Tom es un hombre rico.Tom is a wealthy man.This sentence is useful for identifying a wealthy man using rico.Tatoeba #1306095 by marcelostockle, translation #1025123 by CK
- Yo solía ser adinerado.I used to be wealthy.This sentence is useful for expressing a past state of being wealthy using adinerado.Tatoeba #6403855 by ZetKPL, translation #6357192 by CK
- La familia Martínez es bastante adinerada y vive en una lujosa mansión.The Martinez family is quite wealthy and lives in a luxurious mansion.
- El empresario mexicano es extremadamente rico y posee un vasto imperio empresarial.The Mexican businessman is extremely wealthy and possesses a vast business empire.
- El nuevo vecino tiene un coche deportivo y siempre va de vacaciones. ¡Debe ser bastante pudiente!The new neighbor has a sports car and always goes on vacations. They must be quite wealthy!
- La familia Gómez es sumamente acaudalada y posee innumerables propiedades.The Gomez family is extremely wealthy and owns countless properties.
- La fiesta en la mansión fue opulenta y solo asistieron invitados adinerados.The party at the mansion was opulent, and only wealthy guests attended.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about a neighbor.
- Alejandro¿Es rico tu nuevo vecino?Is your new neighbor rich?
- ElenaSí, es un hombre muy rico.Yes, he is a very rich man.
- AlejandroElena, ¿sabes qué tiene?Elena, do you know what he has?
- ElenaNo lo sé, pero parece exitoso.I don't know, but he seems successful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wealthy” translations and entries rico, adinerado, acomodado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acomodado, rico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
