país

country

noun pah-EES Common

Origin: From Old French pays, ultimately Latin pagus ('district').

Usage Note

País bears a written accent on the i to mark the hiatus — without it the two vowels would collapse into a diphthong. The plural países retains the accent. It refers specifically to a political nation; campo or tierra are used for 'countryside'. The adjective is nacional, not paisano (which means 'compatriot' or 'peasant').

Examples

"¿De qué país eres?"

Natural Translation

What country are you from?

Literal Translation

Of what country are-you?

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