Saint in Spanish 🇪🇸

Pronunciation

normal speech: SAN-to

7 months ago

santo info.

To remember the word “santo” in Spanish, which means “saint” in English, you might consider the following tips:
– Break down the word “santo” into “san” (a common prefix for male saints, e.g., “San Francisco”) and “to”, imagining a “saint” with a “to-do” list of miracles.
– Think of “Santa Claus,” known in Spanish as “San Nicolás” (Saint Nicholas), which can help you associate “santo/santa” with saintliness.

Other words and phrases in Spanish that mean the same thing or are related include:
– “Santa” – female version of “santo” (e.g., “Santa Teresa”)
– “San” – used before the names of male saints (e.g., “San Pedro”)
– “Sagrado/a” – meaning “holy” or “sacred”
– “Beatificación” – beatification, which is a step towards being declared a saint
– “Martir” – martyr, often saints are martyrs who died for their faith
– “Canonización” – canonization, the official process of declaring someone a saint

Alternate meanings and uses in slang:
– “Santo” can sometimes be used sarcastically or humorously to describe someone who is pretending to be innocent or is overly good.
– “Hacerse el santo” means “to play innocent” or “pretend to be a saint.”
– In some regions, “santo” is informally used to refer to someone’s name-day, similar to a birthday celebration.

Examples of sentences that use “santo”:
– “Mañana es la fiesta de San Juan, el santo patrón de la ciudad.” (Tomorrow is the feast of Saint John, the patron saint of the city.)
– “Era tan caritativa que la gente del pueblo la llamaba ‘la santa’.” (She was so charitable that the people in the town called her “the saint.”)
– “Siempre te haces el santo, pero yo sé que no lo eres.” (You always play the saint, but I know you’re not.)

a few seconds ago

santo info.

Tips to remember the word:

1. Connect “santo” to the English word “saint” by noting that they both start with an “S” and share the same root.
2. Remember a common phrase: “San” before a male saint’s name (e.g., San Pedro) and “Santa” before a female saint’s name (e.g., Santa Maria).
3. Visualize religious imagery or icons labeled with “Santo” to cement the meaning in your mind.

Explanations:

– “Santo” is the Spanish term for a holy person, someone who has been canonized by the church.
– It is used to refer to both a specific saint, like Santo Tomás or a general category of holy persons.

Other words that mean the same thing:

– Beato/beata: a beatified person, which is one step below sainthood in the Catholic Church.
– Sagrado/sagrada: this word means “sacred” and can be used to describe something or someone that is holy.

Alternate meanings like slang:

– Sometimes “santo” can be used in a slightly sarcastic or humorous way to refer to someone who behaves as if they are very innocent or too good to be true.
– In some regions, it can also refer to a good, helpful person, not necessarily in a religious sense but more as a commendation of their virtues.

Examples of sentences that use it:

1. Hoy la Iglesia celebra a San Francisco de Asís, conocido por su amor a la naturaleza y los animales.
2. ¿Has visitado la Catedral de Santo Domingo? Es una maravilla arquitectónica.
3. Mi abuela siempre me dice que tengo que comportarme como un santo.
4. Santa Teresa de Ávila es una mística importante en la historia de España.
5. Para muchos, la figura del santo es símbolo de fe y devoción.

an hour ago