Bienvenidos a mi país.
Welcome to my country.
In a dark, tense room, a man welcomes two visitors to mi país, his own country, and the greeting isn't a friendly one.
From The Blacklist · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "country" in Spanish
el país
nounmasculineplural: los países
"Country" in Spanish is el país, as in mi país, my country. The accent splits it into two syllables, pah-EES, and the plural is los países. When you mean the countryside, as opposed to the city, the word is el campo.
Hear "país" in real movie scenes
A cold welcome and a strange question about water. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿De qué país es?
What country is it from?
A boy wants brand-name mineral water but gets tap water, and he asks de qué país it comes from as if it were a pricey import.
From Son como niños · Spanish audio
País, campo or patria?
English "country" covers several ideas. Spanish has a word for each.
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| el país | country, nation | The everyday word: Es un país grande. |
| el campo | the countryside | Farms, fields and villages, as opposed to the city: Vivo en el campo. |
| la patria | homeland | Formal and emotional. You hear it in speeches and national anthems. |
| la nación | nation | Common in politics and the news. |
| el extranjero | abroad | Vivo en el extranjero means I live abroad. As an adjective: un país extranjero. |
Tip: Country music keeps its English name: la música country.
Grammar: el país, los países
Four things to know before you talk about countries.
Learn it with el
It's el país. The ending gives no clue to the gender, so keep the article attached: un país grande.The accent makes two syllables
The í keeps the vowels apart: pah-EES. Without it, ai would glide into one sound.Plural with -es
Add -es and keep the accent: los países, three syllables.Asking where someone is from
¿De qué país eres? asks for a person's country. Answer with Soy de and the name: Soy de México.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
En mi país el idioma es el portugués.
In my country the language is Portuguese.
Es un país grande.
It's a big country.
Es un país extranjero.
It's a foreign country.
Yo amo a mi país.
I love my country.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la país
✓el país
País is masculine, even without an -o ending.
✗pais
✓país
Leave out the accent and the word loses a syllable. Write the í every time.
✗Vivo en el país. (meaning the countryside)
✓Vivo en el campo.
For farms, fields and village life, Spanish says el campo.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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How to remember it
País starts like passport. Every país you visit wants to see it at the border.
Questions about "country" in Spanish
How do you say country in Spanish?
El país, plural los países. For the countryside, as opposed to the city, say el campo.
Is país masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el país, un país pequeño, los países.
Why does país have an accent?
The accent on the í splits the word into two syllables, pah-EES. It stays in the plural: países.
How do you ask "what country are you from?" in Spanish?
¿De qué país eres? With someone you call usted, say ¿De qué país es usted? Answer with Soy de and the country.
