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ancient and Spanish anciano
In English
ancient
very old, from a distant era
In Spanish
anciano
persona mayor
Spanish "anciano" means: elderly person
Why they get mixed up "Ancient" and Spanish "anciano" come from the same Latin root. Spanish "anciano" narrowed to mean an elderly person. English "ancient" widened to describe anything from a very distant era, not people.
If you want to say...
- ancientantiguo
- elderlyanciano o mayor
- old (thing)viejo o antiguo
Examples
They explored the ancient ruins.
Exploraron las ruinas antiguas.
Ancient Egypt fascinates me.
El antiguo Egipto me fascina.
The museum has ancient Greek statues.
El museo tiene estatuas de la antigua Grecia.
It is an ancient tradition in our village.
Es una tradición antiquísima de nuestro pueblo.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Mi abuelo es muy antiguo.
Correct: Mi abuelo es muy mayor.
Antiguo describes old things or former roles. For an old person use mayor or anciano.
Incorrect: Ayudé a un antiguo en la calle.
Correct: Ayudé a un anciano en la calle.
In Spanish, "un anciano" is an elderly man. "Antiguo" would refer to an old object or a former role.
Phrases you will hear
- ancient Egyptel antiguo Egipto
- ancient ruinsruinas antiguas
- ancient historyhistoria antigua
- an ancient traditionuna tradición antiquísima
- an ancient civilizationuna civilización antigua
- an elderly manun anciano
In a conversation
- A:
We visited the ancient ruins yesterday.
Ayer visitamos las ruinas antiguas.
- B:
How old are they?
¿Qué antigüedad tienen?
- A:
About three thousand years. An elderly guide told us the history.
Unos tres mil años. Un guía anciano nos contó la historia.
- B:
That sounds amazing.
Suena increíble.
Test yourself
"Ancient Egypt" is...
To remember it
- Ancientvery old (things, civilizations)
- An elderly personelderly
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "anciano" mean?
Spanish "anciano" means "elderly person". It looks like the English "ancient", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "ancient" means "very old, from a distant era".
Does English "ancient" mean the same as Spanish "anciano"?
"Ancient" and Spanish "anciano" come from the same Latin root. Spanish "anciano" narrowed to mean an elderly person. English "ancient" widened to describe anything from a very distant era, not people.