Estados Unidos
Lemma Details
Translation: United States; United States of America; USA
Part of Speech: proper noun
Etymology: From Spanish 'estado' (state) + 'unido' (united). 'Estado' derives from Latin 'status' (position, condition), while 'unido' comes from Latin 'unitus' (united, joined together). The name reflects the political union of separate states into one nation, mirroring the English name 'United States'.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Mnemonics
- Estados Unidos = 'United States' - both terms literally mean 'states that are united'
- Think of 'estados' as 'states' (they sound similar) and 'unidos' as 'united' (also similar sounding)
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'Estados Unidos' is the standard way to refer to the United States of America. Unlike in English where 'America' is often used as a synonym for the United States, in Spanish 'América' refers to the entire continent (North, Central, and South America combined). Therefore, calling someone from the United States 'americano' can be considered imprecise or even politically insensitive in some contexts, with 'estadounidense' being the preferred term.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: In Spanish, 'América' refers to the entire American continent (North, Central, and South), not just the United States as 'America' often does in English.
This word:
Voy a visitar Estados Unidos este verano.
I'm going to visit the United States this summer.
Notes: This distinction is important in Spanish-speaking countries, where using 'América' to refer only to the USA can be seen as culturally insensitive.
Mnemonic: Estados Unidos is specific to one country; América includes many countries across two continents.
Explanation: The incorrect singular form. The correct term is always plural: 'Estados Unidos'.
This word:
Los Estados Unidos tienen una población diversa.
The United States has a diverse population.
Confused word:
No existe un 'Estado Unido' - es incorrecto.
There is no 'United State' - it's incorrect.
Notes: Even though 'Estados Unidos' is grammatically plural in Spanish, it can take either singular or plural verb forms depending on whether it's being conceptualized as a single nation or as a collection of states.
Mnemonic: Always remember the 's' at the end of both words - it's a collection of multiple states.