rico
Lemma Details
Translation: rich; wealthy; delicious; tasty; abundant; fertile; luxurious
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: From Latin 'dives' meaning 'wealthy', which evolved to 'ricus' in Vulgar Latin. The word shares roots with English words like 'rich' and 'riches', both coming from Germanic origins (Old English 'rīce' meaning 'powerful, wealthy'). The semantic evolution from 'powerful' to 'wealthy' to 'abundant' to 'delicious' shows how material wealth became associated with quality and pleasure.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'rich' person eating 'rich' (delicious) food.
- Remember that both English 'rich' and Spanish 'rico' share the same 'ric-' root.
- Picture a wealthy person saying 'reeee-co' while enjoying luxurious things.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'rico' has a broader usage than just referring to wealth. It's commonly used to describe food ('¡Qué rico!'), experiences, and even as a term of endearment. The dual meaning of financial wealth and sensory pleasure creates a cultural connection between abundance and enjoyment.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Rico' means 'rich' or 'delicious' while 'rizo' means 'curl' (as in hair).
Confused word:
Ella tiene el pelo con rizos.
She has curly hair.
Notes: The pronunciation is also different: 'rico' has the stress on the first syllable, while 'rizo' also stresses the first syllable but has a different consonant sound.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'rico' has a 'c' for 'cash' (wealth), while 'rizo' has a 'z' that looks like a curly hair.
Explanation: 'Rico' means 'rich' or 'delicious' while 'chico' means 'small' or 'boy'.
This word:
Es un hombre rico.
He is a rich man.
Confused word:
Es un chico alto.
He is a tall boy.
Notes: Both words are common adjectives but describe completely different qualities.
Mnemonic: 'Rico' starts with 'r' for 'riches', while 'chico' starts with 'ch' for 'child'.