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stranger and Spanish extranjero
In English
stranger
someone you don't know
In Spanish
extranjero
de otro país
Spanish "extranjero" means: foreigner
Why they get mixed up Spanish "extranjero" is someone from another country or nation. English "stranger" is any person you don't know, regardless of their origin. A foreigner in English is "foreigner."
If you want to say...
- strangerdesconocido
- foreignerextranjero
- newcomerrecién llegado
Examples
Don't talk to strangers.
No hables con desconocidos.
A stranger helped me find the way.
Un desconocido me ayudó a encontrar el camino.
A stranger asked me for directions.
Un desconocido me pidió indicaciones.
I felt like a stranger in my own city.
Me sentí como un extraño en mi propia ciudad.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Un extranjero en la calle me pidió ayuda: no lo conocía.
Correct: Un desconocido en la calle me pidió ayuda: no lo conocía.
Extranjero means foreigner. For someone you don't know, use desconocido or extraño.
Incorrect: No hables con extranjeros.
Correct: No hables con desconocidos.
Use desconocidos for strangers.
Phrases you will hear
- a complete strangerun completo desconocido
- talk to strangershablar con desconocidos
- a stranger in townun forastero
- stranger thingscosas más raras
- a foreignerun extranjero
- a touristun turista
In a conversation
- A:
Don't talk to strangers.
No hables con desconocidos.
- B:
That man is a foreigner, not a stranger.
Ese hombre es un extranjero, no un desconocido.
- A:
How do you know?
¿Cómo lo sabes?
- B:
He's a tourist from Japan; I met him yesterday.
Es un turista de Japón; lo conocí ayer.
Test yourself
"A stranger" is...
To remember it
Stranger = someone you don't know. Someone from another country (Spanish "extranjero") = foreigner.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "extranjero" mean?
Spanish "extranjero" means "foreigner". It looks like the English "stranger", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "stranger" means "someone you don't know".
Does English "stranger" mean the same as Spanish "extranjero"?
Spanish "extranjero" is someone from another country or nation. English "stranger" is any person you don't know, regardless of their origin. A foreigner in English is "foreigner."