ciudad
Lemma Details
Translation: city; town; metropolis; urban area
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'civitas' meaning 'citizenship, community of citizens', which evolved to 'civitatem' in Vulgar Latin. This shares the same root as English words like 'civic', 'civil', and 'civilization'. The Latin root 'civis' meant 'citizen', emphasizing that a city was fundamentally a community of citizens rather than just a physical place. The evolution from 'civitas' to 'ciudad' shows typical Spanish phonological changes where 'v' became 'u' and the final 't' was lost.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Madrid es la ciudad capital de España.
Madrid is the capital city of Spain.
Prefiero vivir en una ciudad grande que en un pueblo pequeño.
I prefer to live in a big city rather than in a small town.
La ciudad está llena de turistas durante el verano.
The city is full of tourists during the summer.
Hay muchas ciudades históricas en España.
There are many historical cities in Spain.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'civil' + 'dad' = 'ciudad' (a place where civil society is established)
- Sounds a bit like 'see you dad' - imagine seeing your father in a busy city
- Connect with 'civic duty' - cities are where civic responsibilities are most evident
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, cities often have a central plaza or 'plaza mayor' that serves as the heart of civic life. The concept of 'ciudad' carries strong cultural significance, with many Spanish cities having histories dating back to Roman or Moorish times. The distinction between 'ciudad' and 'pueblo' (town) can be important in administrative and cultural contexts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Ciudad' refers to a larger urban area or city, while 'pueblo' typically refers to a smaller town or village.
Confused word:
Visitamos un pequeño pueblo en las montañas.
We visited a small town in the mountains.
Notes: In some contexts, 'pueblo' can also mean 'people' as a collective, while 'ciudad' always refers to a physical urban area.
Mnemonic: 'Ciudad' has 'dad' (big/father) while 'pueblo' sounds smaller - think of population size differences.
Explanation: Though they look and sound similar, 'ciudad' means 'city' while 'cuidado' means 'care' or 'caution'.
Notes: The stress falls on different syllables: ciu-DAD vs. cui-DA-do.
Mnemonic: 'Cuidado' has 'cuida' which sounds like 'care-ida' - think of taking care.