Just like Spanish has their own words for the names of countries, there are also distinct words for nationalities based on those countries. In English, someone from Canada is “Canadian”, and someone from the USA is “American”. In Spanish, the translation would be “canadiense” and “estadounidense”, respectively. Note that the Spanish terms for nationalities are not capitalized, unlike in English.
If somebody asked you “¿De dónde eres?”, or “Where are you from?”, you could certainly say “Soy de los Estados Unidos”, or “I am from America”. However, you may chose to say “Soy estadounidense”, or “I am American”, instead. Both are technically correct and fine to use. You may also say something like “Yo vengo de los Estados Unidos, pero vivo en Canada”, or, “I come from the United States originally, but I live in Canada now.”
The nationalities in Spanish can be either masculine or feminine gender. Masculine nationalities are provided in the table below, so if the terms ends in -o and you are describing a female person, just switch it to -a. For example, a male Argentinian is argentino, whereas a female Argentinian is argentina. If the word ends in s, like inglés, or s, like español, you would change it to inglésa or española. If you are referring to multiple people, you must make the nationality plural, as in “Mis abuelos son mexicanos”, or “my grandfathers are both Mexican.”
How to say the nationalities in Spanish
| Country | Nationality | Continent |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan (Afganistán) | afgano | Asia (Asia) |
| Albania (Albania) | albanés | Europe (Europa) |
| Algeria (Argelia) | argelino | Africa (África) |
| Angola (Angola) | angolano | Africa (África) |
| Argentina (Argentina) | argentino | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Armenia (Armenia) | armenio | Asia (Asia) |
| Australia (Australia) | australiano | Australia / New Zealand (Australia / Nueva Zelanda) |
| Austria (Austria) | austriaco | Europe (Europa) |
| Azerbaijan (Azerbaiyán) | azerbaiyano | Asia (Asia) |
| Bangladesh (Bangladés) | bangladesí | Asia (Asia) |
| Baréin (Baréin) | bareiní | Asia (Asia) |
| Belarus (Bielorrusia) | bielorruso | Europe (Europa) |
| Belgium (Bélgica) | belga | Europe (Europa) |
| Belize (Belice) | beliceño | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Benin (Benín) | beninés | Africa (África) |
| Bolivia (Bolivia) | boliviano | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Botswana (Botsuana) | botsuano | Africa (África) |
| Brazil (Brazil) | brasileño | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Brunei (Brunéi) | bruneano | Asia (Asia) |
| Bulgaria (Bulgaria) | búlgaro | Europe (Europa) |
| Burkina Faso (Burkina Faso) | burkinés | Africa (África) |
| Burundi (Burundi) | burundés | Africa (África) |
| Cambodia (Camboya) | camboyano | Asia (Asia) |
| Cameroon (Camerún) | camerunés | Africa (África) |
| Canada (Canadá) | canadiense | North America (Norteamérica) |
| Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) | caboverdiano | Africa (África) |
| Central African Republic (República centroafricana) | centroafricano | Africa (África) |
| Chad (Chad) | chadiano | Africa (África) |
| Chile (Chile) | chileno | South America (Sudamérica) |
| China (China) | chino | Asia (Asia) |
| Colombia (Colombia) | colombiano | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Comoros (Comoras) | comorense | Africa (África) |
| Costa Rica (Costa Rica) | tico | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Croatia (Croacia) | croato | Europe (Europa) |
| Cuba (Cuba) | cubano | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Czech Republic (República Checa) | checo | Europe (Europa) |
| Denmark (Dinamarca) | danés | Europe (Europa) |
| Dominican Republic (República Dominicana) | dominicano | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| East Timor (Timor Oriental) | timorense | Asia (Asia) |
| Ecuador (Ecuador) | ecuatoriano | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Egypt (Egipto) | egipcio | Africa (África) |
| England (Inglaterra) | inglés | Europe (Europa) |
| Eritrea (Eritrea) | eritreo | Africa (África) |
| Estonia (Estonia) | estonio | Europe (Europa) |
| Ethiopia (Etiopía) | etíope | Africa (África) |
| Finland (Finlandia) | finlandés | Europe (Europa) |
| France (Francia) | francés | Europe (Europa) |
| Gabon (Gabón) | gabonés | Africa (África) |
| Gambia (Gambia) | gambiano | Africa (África) |
| Georgia (Georgia) | georgiano | Asia (Asia) |
| Germany (Alemania) | alemán | Europe (Europa) |
| Ghana (Ghana) | ghanés | Africa (África) |
| Greece (Grecia) | griego | Europe (Europa) |
| Guatemala (Guatemala) | guatemalteco | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Guinea (Guinea) | guineano | Africa (África) |
| Holand (Holanda) | holandés | Europe (Europa) |
| Honduras (Honduras) | hondureño | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Hungary (Hungría) | húngaro | Europe (Europa) |
| India (India) | indio | Asia (Asia) |
| Indonesia (Indonesia) | indionisio | Asia (Asia) |
| Iran (Irán) | iraní | Asia (Asia) |
| Iraq (Irak) | iraquí | Asia (Asia) |
| Ireland (Irlanda) | irlandés | Europe (Europa) |
| Island (Islandia) | islandés | Europe (Europa) |
| Israel (Israel) | israelí | Asia (Asia) |
| Italy (Italia) | italiano | Europe (Europa) |
| Japan (Japón) | japonés | Asia (Asia) |
| Jordan (Jordania) | jordano | Asia (Asia) |
| Kazakhstan (Kazajistán) | kazajo | Asia (Asia) |
| Kenya (Kenia) | keniata | Africa (África) |
| Kyrgyzstan (Kirguistán) | kirguís | Asia (Asia) |
| Latvia (Letonia) | letón | Europe (Europa) |
| Liberia (Liberia) | liberiano | Africa (África) |
| Libya (Libia) | libio | Africa (África) |
| Lithuania (Lituania) | lituano | Europe (Europa) |
| Macedonia (Macedonia) | macedónio | Europe (Europa) |
| Madagascar (Madagascar) | malgache | Africa (África) |
| Malawi (Malaui) | malauí | Africa (África) |
| Malaysia (Malasia) | malayo | Asia (Asia) |
| Maldivas (Maldivas) | maldivo | Asia (Asia) |
| Mali (Mali) | maliense | Africa (África) |
| Malta (Malta) | maltés | Europe (Europa) |
| Mauricio (Mauricio) | mauriciano | Africa (África) |
| Mauritania (Mauritania) | mauritano | Africa (África) |
| Mexico (México) | mexicano | North America (Norteamérica) |
| Moldavia (Moldavia) | moldoviano | Europe (Europa) |
| Mongolia (Mongolia) | mongól | Asia (Asia) |
| Montenegro (Montenegro) | montenegrino | Europe (Europa) |
| Morocco (Marruecos) | marroquí | Africa (África) |
| Mozambique (Mozambique) | mozambiqueño | Africa (África) |
| Namibia (Namibia) | namibio | Africa (África) |
| New Zealand () | neozelandés | Australia / New Zealand (Australia / Nueva Zelanda) |
| Nicaragua (Nicaragua) | nicaragüense | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Niger (Niger) | nigeriano | Africa (África) |
| North Korea (Corea del Norte) | norcoreano | Asia (Asia) |
| Norway (Noruega) | noruego | Europe (Europa) |
| Oman (Omán) | omanés | Asia (Asia) |
| Pakistan (Pakistán) | pakistaní | Asia (Asia) |
| Palestina (Palestina) | palestino | Asia (Asia) |
| Panama (Panamá) | panameño | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Paraguay (Paraguay) | paraguayo | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Peru (Perú) | peruano | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Philippines (Filipinas) | filipino | Asia (Asia) |
| Poland (Polonia) | polaco | Europe (Europa) |
| Portugal (Potugal) | portugués | Europe (Europa) |
| Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico) | puertorriqueño | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Republic of Congo (República del Congo) | congoleño | Africa (África) |
| Romania (Rumania) | rumano | Europe (Europa) |
| Russia (Rusia) | ruso | Europe (Europa) |
| Russia (Rusia) | ruso | Asia (Asia) |
| Rwanda (Ruanda) | ruandés | Africa (África) |
| Salvador (Salvador) | salvadoreño | Central America (Centroamérica) |
| Scotland (Escosia) | escosés | Europe (Europa) |
| Senegal (Senegal) | senegalés | Africa (África) |
| Serbia (Serbia) | serbio | Europe (Europa) |
| Seychelles (Seychelles) | seychelense | Africa (África) |
| Sierra Leone (Sierra Leona) | sierraleonés | Africa (África) |
| Singapore (Singapur) | singapurense | Asia (Asia) |
| Slovakia (Eslovaquia) | eslovaco | Europe (Europa) |
| Slovenia (Eslovenia) | esloveno | Europe (Europa) |
| Somalia (Somalia) | somalí | Africa (África) |
| South Africa (Sudáfrica) | sudafricano | Africa (África) |
| South Korea (Corea del Sur) | surcoreano | Asia (Asia) |
| Spain (España) | español | Europe (Europa) |
| Sudan (Sudán) | sudanés | Africa (África) |
| Swaziland (Suazilandia) | suazi | Africa (África) |
| Sweden (Suecia) | sueco | Europe (Europa) |
| Switzerland (Suiza) | suizo | Europe (Europa) |
| Syria (Siria) | sirio | Asia (Asia) |
| Tanzania (Tanzania) | tanzano | Africa (África) |
| Thailand (Tailandia) | tailandés | Asia (Asia) |
| Togo (Togo) | togolés | Africa (África) |
| Tunisia (Túnez) | tunecino | Africa (África) |
| Turkey (Turquía) | turco | Asia (Asia) |
| Uganda (Uganda) | ugandés | Africa (África) |
| Ukraine (Ucrania) | ucranio | Europe (Europa) |
| United Kingdom (Reino Unido) | británico | Europe (Europa) |
| United States (Estados Unidos) | estadounidense | North America (Norteamérica) |
| Uruguay (Uruguay) | uruguayo | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Uzbekistan (Uzbekistán) | uzbeco | Asia (Asia) |
| Venezuela (Venezuela) | venezolano | South America (Sudamérica) |
| Vietnam (Vietnam) | vietnamita | Asia (Asia) |
| Yemen (Yemen) | yemení | Asia (Asia) |
| Zambia (Zambia) | zambiano | Africa (África) |
| Zimbabwe (Zimbabue) | zimbabuense | Africa (África) |
Related resources:
List of Spanish speaking countries and their capitals
Spanish quotes about travel
How to say the world languages in Spanish