Countries, nationalities, & languages in Spanish: A top guide
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Learning Spanish and traveling abroad can instantly turn you into an ambassador of your home country.
As you follow the wonderfully-exciting roads that learning Spanish can take you, you’re bound to find yourself in one of the many Spanish-speaking countries. When you do, you’ll without a doubt end up meeting tons of people, saying hi, introducing yourself, and ultimately answering the question: "where are you from?” in Spanish.
Knowing how to talk about countries, cities, and nationalities will help you make more friends, cultivate more genuine connections, and learn more about the places you visit. Even when you meet locals, don’t always assume that they’re also from there. Many may be from neighboring towns, or even far away places, so talking with them about where they’re from will help you better understand the people, culture, and geography of the country you’re in.
Plus, if you’re interested in an international career, you’ll need some of this vocabulary just to get by. Not only will you need to talk about other countries (including non-Spanish speaking ones!), but you’ll also likely need to know the names of political organizations such as the UN, the European Union, and more. But fret not; we’ve included all of those in this handy article!
Ready to become a child of the world by learning all about countries, cities, nationalities, and languages in Spanish? Pack your bags and let’s go!
List of countries in Spanish
According to the United Nations definitions, there are currently 195 countries in the world. We’ve included over half of them in our list below so you can learn how to say your country in Spanish. Watch out, though, as many countries have only slight differences between English and Spanish. For example, Brazil in Spanish is spelled with an s (Brasil) and Canada has an accent mark at the end (Canadá).
We’ve broken down the list of countries in Spanish by continent to make it even easier to find your native country. By the way, the total number of continents varies depending on whom you ask. Most people in Latin America learn that there are only five continents, which is why we’ve split our list into just five!
African countries in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Flag |
| Algeria | Argelia | aɾˈxelja | are-heh-lee-ah | 🇩🇿 |
| Angola | Angola | ãnˈɡola | ahn-go-la | 🇦🇴 |
| Cameroon | Camerún | kamɛˈɾũn | cah-meh-roon | 🇨🇲 |
| Cape Verde | Cabo Verde | ˈkaβo ˈβɛɾðe | ca-bo ver-deh | 🇨🇻 |
| Republic of the Congo | La República del Congo | la reˈpuβlika ðɛl ˈkõnɡo | la reh-poo-blee-cah del con-goh | 🇨🇬 |
| The Democratic Republic of the Congo | La República Democrática del Congo | la reˈpuβlika ðemoˈkɾatika ðɛl ˈkõnɡo | la reh-poo-blee-ca deh-mo-cra-tee-cah del con-go | 🇨🇩 |
| Egypt | Egipto | eˈxip̚to | eh-hip-toe | 🇪🇬 |
| Equatorial Guinea | Guinea Ecuatorial | ɡiˈnea ekwatoˈɾjal | gee-neh-ah eh-coo-ah-toh-ree-al | 🇬🇶 |
| Ethiopia | Etiopía | ɛtjoˈpia | eh-tee-oh-pee-ah | 🇪🇹 |
| Ghana | Ghana | ˈɡana | gah-na | 🇬🇭 |
| Ivory Coast | Costa de Marfil | ˈkosta ðe maɾˈfil | cos-ta deh mar-feel | 🇨🇮 |
| Kenya | Kenia | ˈkenja | keh-nee-ah | 🇰🇪 |
| Libya | Libia | ˈliβja | lee-bee-ah | 🇱🇾 |
| Mauritius | Mauricio | mau̯ˈɾisjo | ma-ooh-ree-see-oh | 🇲🇺 |
| Morocco | Marruecos | maˈrwekos | mah-roo-eh-cos | 🇲🇦 |
| Mozambique | Mozambique | mosãmˈbike | mo-zam-bee-keh | 🇲🇿 |
| Nigeria | Nigeria | niˈxɛɾja | nee-heh-ree-ah | 🇳🇬 |
| Rwanda | Ruanda | ˈrwãnda | roo-an-dah | 🇷🇼 |
| Senegal | Senegal | seneˈɣal | seh-neh-gal | 🇸🇳 |
| Somalia | Somalia | soˈmalja | so-mah-lee-ah | 🇸🇴 |
| South Africa | Sudáfrica | suˈðafɾika | sood-ah-free-cah | 🇿🇦 |
| Sudan | Sudán | suˈðãn | soo-dan | 🇸🇩 |
| Syria | Siria | ˈsiɾja | see-ree-ah | 🇸🇾 |
| Tunisia | Túnez | ˈtunes | too-nez | 🇹🇳 |
| Uganda | Uganda | uˈɣãnda | oo-gan-da | 🇺🇬 |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabue | sĩmˈbaβwe | zeem-bah-boo-eh | 🇿🇼 |
American countries in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Flag |
| Argentina | Argentina | aɾxɛ̃nˈtina | are-hen-tee-na | 🇦🇷 |
| Belize | Belice | beˈlise | beh-lee-seh | 🇧🇿 |
| Bolivia | Bolivia | boˈliβja | bo-lee-vee-ah | 🇧🇴 |
| Brazil | Brasil | bɾaˈsil | bra-seel | 🇧🇷 |
| Canada | Canadá | kanaˈða | cah-na-da | 🇨🇦 |
| Chile | Chile | ˈʧile | chee-leh | 🇨🇱 |
| Colombia | Colombia | koˈlõmbja | co-lom-bee-ah | 🇨🇴 |
| Costa Rica | Costa Rica | ˈkosta ˈrika | cos-ta ree-ca | 🇨🇷 |
| Dominican Republic | La República Dominicana | la reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana | la reh-poo-blee-cah doh-me-nee-ca-na | 🇩🇴 |
| Jamaica | Jamaica | xaˈmai̯ka | hah-mah-e-ca | 🇯🇲 |
| Mexico | México | ˈmexiko | meh-he-co | 🇲🇽 |
| Panama | Panamá | panaˈma | pa-na-ma | 🇵🇦 |
| Peru | Perú | pɛˈɾu | peh-roo | 🇵🇪 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad y Tobago | tɾiniˈðað i toˈβaɣo | tree-nee-dad e toe-ba-go | 🇹🇹 |
| United States | Estados Unidos | ɛsˈtaðos uˈniðos | ehs-ta-dos oo-nee-dos | 🇺🇸 |
Asian countries in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Flag |
| Armenia | Armenia | aɾˈmenja | ar-meh-nee-ah | 🇦🇲 |
| Azerbaijan | Azerbaiyán | asɛɾβai̯ˈʝãn | ah-ser-bah-yan | 🇦🇿 |
| Bangladesh | Bangladés | bãnɡlaˈðes | ban-gla-des | 🇧🇩 |
| Cambodia | Camboya | kãmˈboʝa | cam-boh-ya | 🇰🇭 |
| China | China | ˈʧina | chee-na | 🇨🇳 |
| India | India | ˈĩndja | een-dee-ah | 🇮🇳 |
| Indonesia | Indonesia | ĩndoˈnesja | een-doe-neh-see-ah | 🇮🇩 |
| Iran | Irán | iˈɾãn | ee-ran | 🇮🇷 |
| Iraq | Irak | iˈɾak | ee-rak | 🇮🇶 |
| Japan | Japón | xaˈpõn | hah-pon | 🇯🇵 |
| Jordan | Jordania | xoɾˈðanja | hor-da-nee-ah | 🇯🇴 |
| Kazakhstan | Kazajistán | kasaxisˈtãn | ka-za-hees-tan | 🇰🇿 |
| North Korea | Corea del Norte | koˈɾea ðɛl ˈnoɾte | koh-reh-ah del nor-teh | 🇰🇵 |
| South Korea | Corea del Sur | koˈɾea ðɛl ˈsuɾ | koh-reh-ah del soor | 🇰🇷 |
| Lebanon | Líbano | ˈliβano | lee-bah-no | 🇱🇧 |
| Malaysia | Malasia | maˈlasja | ma-lah-see-ah | 🇲🇾 |
| Mongolia | Mongolia | mõnˈɡolja | mon-go-lee-ah | 🇲🇳 |
| Myanmar | Birmania | biɾˈmanja | beer-mah-nee-ah | 🇲🇲 |
| Oman | Omán | oˈmãn | oh-man | 🇴🇲 |
| Pakistan | Pakistán | pakisˈtãn | pa-key-stan | 🇵🇰 |
| Palestine | Palestina | palɛsˈtina | pa-less-tee-na | 🇵🇸 |
| Philippines | Filipinas | filiˈpinas | fee-lee-pee-nas | 🇵🇭 |
| Qatar | Catar | kaˈtaɾ | cah-tar | 🇶🇦 |
| Saudi Arabia | Arabia Saudita | aˈɾaβja sau̯ˈðita | ah-rah-bee-ah sah-ooh-dee-tah | 🇸🇦 |
| Singapore | Singapur | sĩnɡaˈpuɾ | seen-gah-poor | 🇸🇬 |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | ˈs̬ri ˈlãnka | sree lan-ka | 🇱🇰 |
| Thailand | Tailandia | tai̯ˈlãndja | tai-lan-dee-ah | 🇹🇭 |
| Turkey | Turquía | tuɾˈkia | toor-key-ah | 🇹🇷 |
| United Arab Emirates | Emiratos Árabes Unidos | emiˈɾatos ˈaɾaβes uˈniðos | eh-me-ra-tos ah-ra-bes oo-nee-dos | 🇦🇪 |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbekistán | us̬βekisˈtãn | ooz-beh-keys-tan | 🇺🇿 |
| Vietnam | Vietnam | bjɛt̚ˈnãm | vee-eht-nam | 🇻🇳 |
| Yemen | Yemén | ɟʝeˈmɛ̃n | yeh-men | 🇾🇪 |
European countries in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Flag |
| Albania | Albania | alˈβanja | al-bah-nee-ah | 🇦🇱 |
| Andorra | Andorra | ãnˈdora | ahn-doh-ra | 🇦🇩 |
| Austria | Austria | ˈau̯stɾja | ah-oos-tree-ah | 🇦🇹 |
| Belgium | Bélgica | ˈbɛlxika | bell-he-ca | 🇧🇪 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgaria | bulˈɣaɾja | bool-gah-ree-ah | 🇧🇬 |
| Croatia | Croacia | kɾoˈasja | cro-ah-see-ah | 🇭🇷 |
| Cyprus | Chipre | ˈʧipɾe | chee-preh | 🇨🇾 |
| Czechia | Chequia | ˈʧekja | cheh-key-ah | 🇨🇿 |
| Denmark | Dinamarca | dinaˈmaɾka | dee-na-mar-ca | 🇩🇰 |
| Finland | Finlandia | fĩnˈlãndja | feen-lan-dee-ah | 🇫🇮 |
| France | Francia | ˈfɾãnsja | fran-see-ah | 🇫🇷 |
| Germany | Alemania | aleˈmanja | ah-leh-ma-nee-ah | 🇩🇪 |
| Greece | Grecia | ˈɡɾesja | greh-see-ah | 🇬🇷 |
| Hungary | Hungría | ũnˈɡɾia | oon-gree-ah | 🇭🇺 |
| Iceland | Islandia | is̬ˈlãndja | ees-lan-dee-ah | 🇮🇸 |
| Ireland | Irlanda | iɾˈlãnda | eer-lan-da | 🇮🇪 |
| Italy | Italia | iˈtalja | ee-tah-lee-ah | 🇮🇹 |
| Lithuania | Lituania | liˈtwanja | leee-too-ah-nee-ah | 🇱🇹 |
| Luxembourg | Luxemburgo | luksɛ̃mˈbuɾɣo | loox-ehm-boor-go | 🇱🇺 |
| The Netherlands | Los Países Bajos | los paˈises̬ ˈβaxos | los pah-e-sehs ba-hos | 🇳🇱 |
| Norway | Noruega | noˈɾweɣa | no-roo-eh-ga | 🇳🇴 |
| Poland | Polonia | poˈlonja | po-lo-nee-ah | 🇵🇱 |
| Portugal | Portugal | poɾtuˈɣal | pore-too-gal | 🇵🇹 |
| Romania | Romania | roˈmanja | ro-ma-nee-ah | 🇷🇴 |
| Russia | Rusia | ˈrusja | roo-see-ah | 🇷🇺 |
| Serbia | Serbia | ˈsɛɾβja | ser-bee-ah | 🇷🇸 |
| Slovakia | Eslovaquia | ɛs̬loˈβakja | ehs-lo-va-key-ah | 🇸🇰 |
| Slovenia | Eslovenia | ɛs̬loˈβenja | ehs-lo-veh-nee-ah | 🇸🇮 |
| Spain | España | ɛsˈpaɲa | ehs-pa-nyah | 🇪🇸 |
| Sweden | Suecia | ˈswesja | soo-eh-see-ah | 🇸🇪 |
| Switzerland | Suiza | ˈswisa | soo-e-za | 🇨🇭 |
| Ukraine | Ucrania | uˈkɾanja | oo-cra-nee-ah | 🇺🇦 |
| United Kingdom | El Reino Unido | ɛl ˈrei̯no u̯ˈniðo | el rey-no oo-nee-doe | 🇬🇧 |
Oceanian countries in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation | Flag |
| Australia | Australia | au̯sˈtɾalja | ah-oos-tra-lee-ah | 🇦🇺 |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Los Estados Federados de Micronesia | los ɛsˈtaðos feðɛˈɾaðos̬ ðe mikɾoˈnesja | los ehs-ta-dos feh-deh-ra-dos deh mee-cro-neh-see-ah | 🇫🇲 |
| Fiji | Fiyi | ˈfiʝi | fee-yee | 🇫🇯 |
| Kiribati | Kiribati | kiɾiˈβati | kee-ree-ba-tee | 🇰🇮 |
| New Zealand | Nueva Zelandia | ˈnweβa seˈlãndja | noo-eh-va zeh-lan-dee-ah | 🇳🇿 |
| Papua New Guinea | Papúa Nueva Guinea | paˈpua ˈnweβa ɣiˈnea | pa-poo-ah noo-eh-va gee-neh-ah | 🇵🇬 |
| Samoa | Samoa | saˈmoa | sa-mo-ah | 🇼🇸 |
| Solomon Islands | Islas Salomón | ˈis̬las saloˈmõn | ees-las sah-lo-mon | 🇸🇧 |
| Tonga | Tonga | ˈtõnɡa | ton-ga | 🇹🇴 |
| Vanuatu | Vanuatu | baˈnwatu | vah-noo-ah-too | 🇻🇺 |
List of cities in Spanish
If you’d like to get more specific, you can also say which city you’re from. We’ve compiled a list of the largest cities in the world in Spanish so you can be as specific as you want when mentioning where you’re from.
Since a large proportion of our readers is from the US, we’ve also included a separate table with some of the largest cities in the US. You can find it immediately after the table below.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Tokyo | Tokio | ˈtokjo | toe-key-oh |
| Delhi | Delhi | ˈdeli | deh-lee |
| Shanghai | Shanghái | sãnˈɡai̯ | shang-ay |
| São Paulo | San Pablo | ˈsãm ˈpaβlo | san pah-bloh |
| Mexico City | Ciudad de México | sjuˈðað ðe ˈmexiko | see-ooh-dad deh meh-he-co |
| Cairo | El Cairo | ɛl ˈkai̯ɾo | el cah-e-ro |
| Mumbai | Bombay | bõmˈbai̯ | bom-bay |
| Beijing | Pekín | peˈkĩn | peh-keen |
| Dhaka | Daca | ˈdaka | da-ca |
| Osaka | Osaka | oˈsaka | oh-sa-ka |
| Karachi | Karachi | kaˈɾaʧi | kah-rah-cheee |
| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires | ˈbwenos ˈai̯ɾes | boo-eh-nos aye-res |
| Chongqing | Chongqing | ʧõnɡˈkĩnɡ | chong-ching |
| Istanbul | Estambul | ɛstãmˈbul | ehs-tam-bool |
| Kolkata | Calcuta | kalˈkuta | cal-coo-ta |
| Manila | Manila | maˈnila | mah-nee-la |
| Lagos | Lagos | ˈlaɣos | la-gos |
| Rio de Janeiro | Río de Janeiro | ˈrio ðe xaˈnei̯ɾo | ree-oh deh hah-neh-e-ro |
| Kinshasa | Kinsasa | kĩnˈsasa | keen-sah-a |
| Guangzhou | Cantón | kãnˈtõn | can-ton |
| Moscow | Moscú | mosˈku | mos-coo |
| Lahore | Lahore | laˈoɾe | la-hoh-reh |
| Bangalore | Bangalore | bãnɡaˈloɾe | ban-ga-lo-reh |
| Paris | París | paˈɾis | pah-rees |
| Bogotá | Bogotá | boɣoˈta | bo-go-ta |
| Jakarta | Yakarta | ɟʝaˈkaɾta | yah-kar-tah |
| Bangkok | Bangkok | bãnɡˈkok | bang-kok |
| Seoul | Seúl | seˈul | seh-ool |
| London | Londres | ˈlõndɾes | lon-drehs |
| Tehran | Teherán | teɛˈɾãn | teh-eh-ran |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Ciudad Ho Chi Minh | sjuˈðað ˈo ˈʧi ˈmĩn | see-ooh-dad ho chee meen |
| Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur | ˈkwala lũmˈpuɾ | koo-ah-la loom-poor |
| Riyadh | Riad | ˈrjað | ree-ad |
| Baghdad | Bagdad | baɣˈðað | bag-dad |
| Toronto | Toronto | toˈɾõnto | toh-ron-toe |
| Dar es Salaam | Dar es-Salam | ˈdaɾ ɛssaˈlãm | dar ehs-sah-lam |
| Singapore | Singapur | sĩnɡaˈpuɾ | seen-gah-poor |
| Johannesburg | Johannesburgo | xoãnnɛs̬ˈβuɾɣo | yoh-han-nes-boor-goh |
| Saint Petersburg | San Petersburgo | ˈsãm pɛtɛɾs̬ˈβuɾɣo | san peh-ters-boor-goh |
| Yangon | Rangún | rãnˈɡũn | ran-goon |
| Sydney | Sídney | ˈsiðnei̯ | seed-nee |
| Melbourne | Melbourne | mɛlˈβou̯ɾne | mel-bourn |
| Auckland | Auckland | au̯kˈklãnd | ock-land |
| Montreal | Montreal | mõntɾeˈal | mon-treh-al |
| Vancouver | Vancouver | bãnkou̯ˈβɛɾ | van-coo-ver |
| Abu Dhabi | Abu Dabi | ˈaβu ˈðaβi | ah-boo dah-be |
| Abuja | Abuya | aˈβuʝa | ah-boo-yah |
| Accra | Acra | ˈakɾa | ah-cra |
| Addis Ababa | Adís Abeba | aˈðis aˈβeβa | ah-dees ah-beh-ba |
| Algiers | Argel | aɾˈxɛl | ar-hel |
| Amsterdam | Ámsterdam | ˈãmstɛɾðãm | ams-tear-dam |
| Ankara | Ankara | ãnˈkaɾa | an-ca-ra |
| Athens | Atenas | aˈtenas | ah-teh-nas |
| Berlin | Berlín | bɛɾˈlĩn | bear-leen |
| Bern | Berna | ˈbɛɾna | bear-na |
| Brasília | Brasilia | bɾaˈsilja | bra-see-lee-ah |
| Brazzaville | Brazzaville | bɾatsaˈβiʝe | bra-za-ville |
| Brussels | Bruselas | bɾuˈselas | broo-seh-las |
| Bucharest | Bucarest | bukaˈɾest | boo-ca-rest |
| Budapest | Budapest | buðaˈpest | boo-da-pest |
| Canberra | Camberra | kãmˈbɛra | cam-beh-rah |
| Colombo | Colombo | koˈlõmbo | co-lom-boe |
| Copenhagen | Copenhague | kopeˈnaɣe | co-peh-nah-geh |
| Dakar | Dakar | daˈkaɾ | da-kar |
| Damascus | Damasco | daˈmasko | da-mas-coe |
| Doha | Doha | ˈdoxa | do-hah |
| Dublin | Dublín | duˈβlĩn | doo-bleen |
| Hanoi | Hanói | xaˈnoi̯ | hah-noy |
| Helsinki | Helsinki | xɛlˈsĩnki | hel-seen-key |
| Islamabad | Islamabad | is̬lamaˈβað | is-la-ma-bad |
| Jerusalem | Jerusalén | xɛɾusaˈlɛ̃n | heh-roo-sah-len |
| Kingston | Kingston | ˈkĩnɡstõn | kings-ton |
| Lisbon | Lisboa | lis̬ˈβoa | lees-bo-ah |
| Nairobi | Nairobi | nai̯ˈɾoβi | na-e-ro-bee |
| Oslo | Oslo | ˈos̬lo | os-lo |
| Ottawa | Ottawa | ot̚ˈtawa | oh-ta-wa |
| Panama City | Ciudad de Panamá | sjuˈðað ðe panaˈma | see-ooh-dad deh pa-na-ma |
| Phnom Penh | Nom Pen | ˈnõm ˈpɛ̃n | nom pen |
| Prague | Praga | ˈpɾaɣa | pra-ga |
| Rabat | Rabat | raˈβat | ra-bat |
| Reykjavík | Reikiavik | rei̯kjaˈβik | ray-key-ah-veek |
| Rome | Roma | ˈroma | ro-ma |
| Santiago | Santiago de Chile | sãnˈtjaɣo ðe ˈʧile | san-tee-ah-go deh chee-leh |
| Stockholm | Estocolmo | ɛstoˈkolmo | ehs-toe-col-mo |
| Taipei | Taipéi | tai̯ˈpei̯ | tai-pei |
| Vienna | Viena | ˈbjena | vee-eh-na |
| Wellington | Wellington | weˈʝĩnɡtõn | well-ing-ton |
| Warsaw | Varsovia | baɾˈsoβja | var-so-vee-ah |
| Zagreb | Zagreb | saˈɣɾɛβ | zag-reb |
List of cities in the United States
Here are some of the largest cities in the United States. Remember that many of these were named when they were part of Mexico or the Spanish Empire, so their names are already in Spanish!
You should also note that most people around the world won’t be very familiar with cities in the US. Of course, almost everybody will know New York City, but you probably shouldn’t just say “Austin” and expect Spanish speakers to know where that is. Instead, specify that you’re from a city in the US called Austin.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
| New York City | Nueva York | ˈnweβa ˈʝoɾk | noo-eh-va york |
| Los Angeles | Los Ángeles | los ˈãnxeles | los an-heh-les |
| Chicago | Chicago | ʧiˈkaɣo | chee-ca-go |
| Houston | Houston | ˈxjustõn | he-oos-ton |
| Phoenix | Phoenix | ˈfiniks | fee-nix |
| Philadelphia | Filadelfia | filaˈðɛlfja | fee-la-del-fee-ah |
| San Antonio | San Antonio | ˈsan ãnˈtonjo | san an-toh-nee-oh |
| San Diego | San Diego | ˈsãn ˈdjeɣo | san dee-eh-go |
| Dallas | Dallas | ˈdalas | da-las |
| San Jose | San José | ˈsãn xoˈse | san ho-seh |
| Austin | Austin | ˈau̯stĩn | ah-oos-teen |
| Columbus | Columbus | koˈlũmbus | co-loom-boos |
| Charlotte | Charlotte | ʧaɾˈlot̚te | char-lot |
| San Francisco | San Francisco | ˈsãm fɾãnˈsisko | san fran-sees-co |
| Seattle | Seattle | seˈat̚tle | sea-ahtle |
| Denver | Denver | dɛ̃mˈbɛɾ | den-ver |
| Washington, D.C. | Washington D. C. | waˈsĩnɡtõn | wash-eeng-ton |
| Boston | Boston | ˈbostõn | bos-ton |
Nationalities in Spanish
Finally, you should know some nationalities in Spanish to easily describe where you’re from and also where your friends and colleagues are from. Note that nationalities in Spanish do not need to be capitalized!
One thing that may irk a lot of Latin Americans is when people from the US use the term “American” to refer to themselves. As you may have noticed from the section on countries above, Latin Americans consider both North America and South America to be the same continent: America. Thus, in Spanish, someone from Uruguay is just as American as someone from the United States, in the sense that they are both from the American continent.
So, if you’re from the US, make sure to only use estadounidense to refer to your nationality. You may also hear other terms like “gringo” or “yankee,” which can be neutral or derogatory depending on the context. You may also use “gringo” to refer to yourself if you want to be a little tongue-in-cheek.
| Country | Nationality in Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Spain | español | ɛspaˈɲol | ehs-pa-nyol |
| Mexico | mexicano | mexiˈkano | meh-he-ca-no |
| Argentina | argentino | aɾxɛ̃nˈtino | are-hen-tee-no |
| Colombia | colombiano | kolõmˈbjano | co-lom-bee-ah-no |
| Peru | peruano | pɛˈɾwano | peh-roo-ah-no |
| Puerto Rico | boricua | boˈɾikwa | bo-ree-coo-ah |
| Costa Rica | tico | ˈtiko | tee-co |
| Guatemala | guatemalteco | ɡwatemalˈteko | goo-ah-teh-mal-teh-coe |
| Nicaragua | nicaragüense | nikaɾaˈɣwɛ̃nse | nee-cah-ra-goo-ehn-seh |
| El Salvador | salvadoreño | salβaðoˈɾeɲo | sal-vah-doe-reh-nyoh |
| Honduras | hondureño | õnduˈɾeɲo | on-doo-reh-nyoh |
| Panama | panameño | panaˈmeɲo | pa-na-meh-nyoh |
| Ecuador | ecuatoriano | ekwatoˈɾjano | eh-coo-ah-toe-ree-ah-no |
| Venezuela | venezolano | benesoˈlano | veh-ne-zoh-la-no |
| United States | estadounidense | ɛstaðou̯niˈðɛ̃nse | ehs-ta-do-oo-nee-dehn-seh |
| Canada | canadiense | kanaˈðjɛ̃nse | ca-na-dee-ehn-seh |
| United Kingdom | británico | bɾiˈtaniko | bree-ta-nee-co |
| France | francés | fɾãnˈses | fran-sehs |
| Germany | alemán | aleˈmãn | ah-leh-man |
| Italy | italiano | itaˈljano | ee-ta-lee-ah-no |
| Switzerland | suizo | ˈswiso | soo-e-zo |
| Sweden | sueco | ˈsweko | soo-eh-co |
| Portugal | portugués | poɾtuˈɣes | pore-too-gehs |
| Ireland | irlandés | iɾlãnˈdes | eer-lan-dehs |
| Scotland | escosés | ɛskoˈses | ehs-coh-sehs |
| Finland | finlandés | fĩnlãnˈdes | feen-lan-dehs |
| Turkey | turco | ˈtuɾko | toor-coh |
| Australia | australiano | au̯stɾaˈljano | ah-oos-tra-lee-ah-no |
| Japan | japonés | xapoˈnes | hah-po-nehs |
| China | chino | ˈʧino | chee-no |
| India | indio | ˈĩndjo | een-dee-oh |
| South Africa | sudafricano | suðafɾiˈkano | sood-ah-free-ca-no |
| Egypt | egipcio | eˈxipsjo | eh-hip-see-oh |
| Morocco | marroquí | maroˈki | ma-ro-key |
| Libya | libio | ˈliβjo | lee-bee-oh |
| Algeria | argelino | aɾxeˈlino | ar-heh-lee-no |
| Nigeria | nigeriano | nixɛˈɾjano | nee-heh-ree-ah-no |
Languages in Spanish
Another bit of information that you’ll likely want to share after saying where you’re from is what language you speak at home. Luckily, many languages have the same name as the nationality of the countries they are from, just like in English.
You should still take a moment to look at the table of languages in Spanish below, as some are not the same. For example, someone from Finland is a finlandés, but the language spoken in Finland is finés. Be careful not to mix up nationalities and languages!
Just like nationalities, languages are never capitalized in Spanish.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
| English | inglés | ĩnˈɡles | een-glehs |
| Spanish | español | ɛspaˈɲol | ehs-pah-nyol |
| Chinese | chino | ˈʧino | chee-no |
| Mandarin | mandarín | mãndaˈɾĩn | man-da-reen |
| Cantonese | cantonés | kãntoˈnes | can-toe-ness |
| French | francés | fɾãnˈses | frahn-sehs |
| German | alemán | aleˈmãn | ah-leh-mahn |
| Portuguese | portugués | poɾtuˈɣes | pore-too-gehs |
| Arab | árabe | ˈaɾaβe | ah-rah-beh |
| Hindi | hindi | ˈĩndi | een-dee |
| Bengali | bengalí | bɛ̃nɡaˈli | ben-ga-lee |
| Russian | ruso | ˈruso | roo-so |
| Bahasa Indonesia | indonesio | ĩndoˈnesjo | een-do-neh-see-oh |
| Urdu | urdu | ˈuɾðu | oor-doo |
| Japanese | japonés | xapoˈnes | hah-poh-ness |
| Punjabi | panyabí | pãnɟʝaˈβi | pan-ya-bee |
| Javanese | javanés | xaβaˈnes | hah-va-ness |
| Tagalog | tagalo | taˈɣalo | ta-ga-lo |
| Turkish | turco | ˈtuɾko | toor-coh |
Geographic vocabulary in Spanish
No, this section won’t talk about landforms in Spanish, although we do have a separate blog for that! This section will focus on the political side of geography, how humans organize ourselves: states, cities, countries, etc. We’ve even included the names of some international political organizations, such as the United Nations. Now you’re ready to sign up for a Model UN conference in Spanish!
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
| Map | El mapa | ˈmapa | ma-pa |
| Country | El país | paˈis | pa-ees |
| Nation | La nación | naˈsjõn | nah-see-ohn |
| Republic | La república | reˈpuβlika | reh-poo-blee-cah |
| Empire | El imperio | ĩmˈpɛɾjo | eem-peh-ree-oh |
| City | La ciudad | sjuˈðað | see-oo-dad |
| Continent | El continente | kõntiˈnɛ̃nte | con-tee-nehn-teh |
| State | El estado | ɛsˈtaðo | ehs-ta-doe |
| Territory | El territorio | tɛriˈtoɾjo | teh-ree-toe-ree-oh |
| Region | La región | reˈxjõn | reh-he-ohn |
| County | El condado | kõnˈdaðo | con-da-doe |
| Colony | La colonia | koˈlonja | co-lo-nee-ah |
| European Union | La Unión Europea | u̯ˈnjon eu̯ɾoˈpea | oo-nee-ohn eh-ooh-ro-peh-ah |
| African Union | La Unión Africana | u̯ˈnjon afɾiˈkana | oo-nee-ohn ah-free-ca-na |
| Commonwealth of Nations | La Mancomunidad de Naciones | mãnkomuniˈðað ðe naˈsjones | man-coh-moo-nee-dad deh nah-see-oh-ness |
| United Nations | La Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) | oɾɣanisaˈsjõn de las̬ naˈsjones uˈniðas | or-gah-nee-sah-see-ohn deh las nah-see-oh-ness oo-nee-das |
| Andean Community | La Comunidad Andina | komuniˈðað ãnˈdina | coh-moo-nee-dad an-dee-nah |
| Arab League | La Liga de los Estados Árabes | ˈliɣa ðe los ɛsˈtaðos ˈaɾaβes | lee-gah deh los ehs-ta-doss ah-rah-behs |
| Balkans | La península balcánica | peˈnĩnsula βalˈkanika | peh-neen-soo-la bal-ca-nee-cah |
| Baltic states | Los países bálticos | paˈises̬ ˈβaltikos | pah-ee-sehs bal-tee-coss |
| Scandinavia | Escandinavia | ɛskãndiˈnaβja | ehs-can-dee-nah-vee-ah |
Share your heritage wherever you go
Now that you know how to talk about places of origin, you can be a more confident representative of your home country as you travel through the Spanish speaking countries. Cultural exchange is one of the best parts of learning a new language, and there’s plenty to learn when you meet someone from a different country or simply from a different town.
We hope you enjoyed this blog, and make sure to bookmark our Spanish resources page! We publish great content every month that will help you take your Spanish to a new level, even if you’re already an intermediate or advanced Spanish speaker. Best of all? Our content is always free!
