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A1 noun #5,000 mais comum 4 min de leitura

siglo

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Pratique Exemplos Notas e dicas

§ What 'siglo' Means

The Spanish word 'siglo' means 'century' in English. It's a masculine noun, so you'll always use 'el siglo' for 'the century'. This word is pretty straightforward, but like all new vocabulary, it needs practice to stick. You'll often see it when talking about history, dates, or long periods of time.

DEFINITION: Century.

§ Examples of 'Siglo' in Action

Let's look at some practical examples so you can see how 'siglo' is used in different contexts. Pay attention to how it fits into sentences.

Vivimos en el siglo veintiuno.

Translation hint: We live in the twenty-first century.

La Revolución Francesa ocurrió en el siglo dieciocho.

Translation hint: The French Revolution happened in the eighteenth century.

Han pasado varios siglos desde la construcción de ese castillo.

Translation hint: Several centuries have passed since the construction of that castle.💡

Remember that numbers for centuries in Spanish usually use ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.) up to ten, and then cardinal numbers (eleven, twelve, etc.) after that. But for centuries, it's common to just say the number, like 'siglo veintiuno' (century twenty-one) instead of 'siglo vigésimo primero'.

§ Common Phrases with 'Siglo'

Knowing common phrases helps you use words more naturally. Here are a few with 'siglo':

Cambio de siglo: This means 'turn of the century'. For example, 'A principios del cambio de siglo' (At the beginning of the turn of the century).
Por siglos: This means 'for centuries' or 'for ages'. You might hear, 'Esta tradición ha existido por siglos' (This tradition has existed for centuries).
De un siglo a otro: This means 'from one century to another'. Useful when discussing historical transitions.

§ Similar Words and When to Use 'Siglo' vs. Alternatives

While 'siglo' specifically refers to a 100-year period, there are other words in Spanish that refer to periods of time. Understanding the nuances will help you choose the right word.

Década (decade): This refers to a period of ten years. It's much shorter than a 'siglo'. You would use 'década' when talking about shorter trends or events within a century. For example, 'Los años veinte fueron una década de grandes cambios' (The twenties were a decade of big changes).
Milenio (millennium): This refers to a period of one thousand years. It's ten 'siglos'. You'll use 'milenio' for much larger historical scopes, like 'El tercer milenio ha traído muchos avances tecnológicos' (The third millennium has brought many technological advances).
Época (era/period): This is a more general term for a period of time, which can be any length. It's less precise than 'siglo', 'década', or 'milenio' and often refers to a period characterized by certain events, styles, or conditions. For example, 'Fue una época de mucha inestabilidad' (It was a time of great instability). You might say 'la época victoriana' (the Victorian era), which isn't necessarily exactly 100 years, but a defining period.
Período (period): Similar to 'época', 'período' is also a general term for a duration of time. It can be used in many contexts and can refer to any length. 'El período de la posguerra fue difícil' (The post-war period was difficult). You would use 'período' when you're not specifically referring to a 100-year chunk of time, but rather any defined duration.

So, when should you use 'siglo'? You use 'siglo' specifically when you mean a hundred-year stretch. If you're talking about the 1900s, that's 'el siglo veinte'. If you're talking about events that span a few years, or a particularly defining era without a strict hundred-year boundary, you'd lean towards 'década', 'época', or 'período'. 'Milenio' is for those really long stretches of a thousand years.💡

Think of 'siglo' as a precise unit of time measurement, like saying 'meter' for length. 'Época' or 'período' are more like saying 'distance' – less specific.

Mastering the difference between these time-related words is crucial for sounding more natural and precise in Spanish. Don't worry if it takes some time; practice makes perfect!

Exemplos por nível

El siglo tiene cien años.

The century has one hundred years.

Este es el siglo veintiuno.

This is the twenty-first century.

Vivimos en un nuevo siglo.

We live in a new century.

Mi abuela vivió en el siglo veinte.

My grandmother lived in the twentieth century.

Mucho ha cambiado este siglo.

Much has changed this century.

El arte de ese siglo es bonito.

The art of that century is beautiful.

Este siglo tiene mucha tecnología.

This century has a lot of technology.

Un siglo es un tiempo largo.

A century is a long time.

La arquitectura de este edificio data de un siglo pasado, mostrando un estilo neoclásico distintivo.

The architecture of this building dates from a past century, displaying a distinctive neoclassical style.

Here, 'pasado' (past) modifies 'siglo' (century), indicating a century that has already occurred.

A lo largo de un siglo, la tecnología ha avanzado de maneras que nuestros ancestros nunca hubieran imaginado.

Over the course of a century, technology has advanced in ways our ancestors would never have imagined.

The phrase 'a lo largo de un siglo' means 'over the course of a century' or 'throughout a century'.

Se estima que el manuscrito original, encontrado en un antiguo monasterio, tiene más de medio siglo de antigüedad.

It is estimated that the original manuscript, found in an old monastery, is more than half a century old.

'Medio siglo' means 'half a century'. 'De antigüedad' is used to express age or antiquity.

Durante el último siglo, las fronteras políticas de la región han experimentado cambios significativos debido a conflictos y tratados.

During the last century, the political borders of the region have experienced significant changes due to conflicts and treaties.

'El último siglo' refers to the most recent century. 'Debido a' means 'due to'.

El descubrimiento de nuevas especies marinas en las profundidades del océano es un recordatorio de que aún después de un siglo de exploración, hay mucho por conocer.

The discovery of new marine species in the ocean depths is a reminder that even after a century of exploration, there is much to learn.

'Aún después de' means 'even after'. 'Hay mucho por conocer' translates to 'there is much to know/learn'.

Con el paso de un siglo, las leyendas urbanas pueden transformarse en parte del folclore aceptado de una comunidad.

With the passage of a century, urban legends can transform into part of a community's accepted folklore.

'Con el paso de' means 'with the passage of'. 'Pueden transformarse' is the reflexive form of 'to transform'.

La obra del famoso pintor, que abarca casi un siglo de historia del arte, será exhibida en una retrospectiva sin precedentes.

The famous painter's work, which spans almost a century of art history, will be exhibited in an unprecedented retrospective.

'Que abarca' means 'which spans' or 'which covers'. 'Sin precedentes' means 'unprecedented'.

Expertos sugieren que el próximo siglo presentará desafíos monumentales para la humanidad en términos de cambio climático y sostenibilidad.

Experts suggest that the next century will present monumental challenges for humanity in terms of climate change and sustainability.

'El próximo siglo' refers to the coming century. 'En términos de' means 'in terms of'.

Padrões gramaticais

Use 'el' before 'siglo'. Use Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) for centuries. For example, 'siglo XX'. When saying the century number, say 'siglo veintiuno' not 'siglo veintiun'. 'Siglo' is a masculine noun. When referring to a century, use the preposition 'en' (e.g., 'en el siglo XIX'). To express a range of centuries, use 'entre los siglos... y...'

Padrões de frases

Estamos en el siglo [número romano].

Estamos en el siglo XXI. (We are in the 21st century.)

El siglo [número romano] fue [descripción].

El siglo XX fue muy importante. (The 20th century was very important.)

Vivimos en el siglo [número cardinal].

Vivimos en el siglo veintiuno. (We live in the twenty-first century.)

[Algo] pasó en el siglo [número romano].

La Revolución Industrial pasó en el siglo XVIII. (The Industrial Revolution happened in the 18th century.)

Desde el siglo [número romano], [algo] ha cambiado.

Desde el siglo XV, la navegación ha cambiado mucho. (Since the 15th century, navigation has changed a lot.)

Se refiere al siglo [número romano].

Se refiere al siglo de oro de España. (It refers to Spain's golden century.)

A lo largo de los siglos, [algo] se ha desarrollado.

A lo largo de los siglos, la tecnología se ha desarrollado. (Throughout the centuries, technology has developed.)

[Autor] vivió en el siglo [número romano].

Shakespeare vivió en el siglo XVI. (Shakespeare lived in the 16th century.)

Memorize

Mnemônico

Imagine a **sea-glow** at the turn of a new century, a bright light marking a hundred years.

Associação visual

Picture a calendar with '100 years' written on it, with a giant 'S' and 'G' intertwined, representing **si** as in 'sixty' and **glo** as in 'glow'.

Word Web

siglo veinte (twentieth century) siglo pasado (last century) siglo de oro (golden age/century) cada siglo (every century) principios de siglo (beginning of the century)

Desafio

Try to identify historical events by the century they occurred in, using 'siglo'. For example, 'La Revolución Francesa fue en el siglo dieciocho.' (The French Revolution was in the eighteenth century.)

Pratique na vida real

Contextos reais

Talking about historical periods:

El siglo XX fue un tiempo de muchos cambios.
The 20th century was a time of many changes.
En el siglo pasado hubo dos guerras mundiales.
In the last century there were two world wars.

Referring to dates or timelines:

La casa fue construida en el siglo XIX.
The house was built in the 19th century.
Estamos viviendo en el siglo XXI.
We are living in the 21st century.

Discussing cultural or artistic movements:

El Renacimiento fue un movimiento artístico del siglo XV y XVI.
The Renaissance was an artistic movement of the 15th and 16th centuries.
La literatura del siglo de Oro es muy famosa en España.
The literature of the Golden Age (Century) is very famous in Spain.

Comparing different eras:

La vida en este siglo es muy diferente a la de hace dos siglos.
Life in this century is very different from that of two centuries ago.
Viajar en el siglo XVIII era mucho más lento.
Traveling in the 18th century was much slower.

General statements about time:

Un siglo tiene cien años.
A century has one hundred years.
Han pasado varios siglos desde entonces.
Several centuries have passed since then.

Iniciadores de conversa

"¿Cuál crees que fue el siglo más interesante en la historia y por qué?"

"¿Cómo te imaginas la vida en un siglo pasado, por ejemplo, el siglo XV?"

"Si pudieras visitar cualquier siglo, ¿cuál elegirías y qué harías allí?"

"¿Qué cambios importantes crees que ocurrirán en el próximo siglo?"

"¿Conoces alguna obra de arte o literatura famosa de un siglo específico?"

Temas para diário

Escribe sobre cómo la tecnología ha cambiado la vida en este siglo comparado con el siglo anterior.

Imagina que vives en el siglo XVIII. Describe tu día a día.

¿Qué eventos históricos importantes ocurrieron en el siglo en que naciste?

Reflexiona sobre qué legado te gustaría dejar para el próximo siglo.

Escribe sobre un personaje histórico de cualquier siglo que te inspire.

Teste-se 18 perguntas

fill blank A1

Estamos en el siglo ___.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: veintiuno

We are currently in the 21st century. 'Veintiuno' means twenty-one.

fill blank A1

Muchos eventos importantes ocurrieron en el siglo ___.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: pasado

To talk about events that already happened, we use 'pasado' (past).

fill blank A1

El próximo ___ será interesante.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: siglo

If we are talking about a long period of time, 'siglo' (century) fits the context of 'próximo' (next).

fill blank A1

Este edificio tiene cien años, es del siglo ___.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: anterior

If an building is a hundred years old, it belongs to the previous century. 'Anterior' means previous.

fill blank A1

La historia de este país abarca varios ___.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: siglos

A country's history usually spans multiple centuries. 'Siglos' is the plural of 'siglo'.

fill blank A1

Se construyó en el siglo ___.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: pasado

To say something was built in a past century, 'pasado' (past) is a good choice.

listening C1

Think about the historical context of the discovery of America and how it relates to time periods.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: El descubrimiento de América marcó el inicio de una nueva era.