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"Cristiano" is a form of "cristiano", an adjective which is often translated as "Christian". "Católico" is an adjective which is often translated as "Catholic". Learn more about the difference between "cristiano" and "católico" below.
cristiano(
krees
-
tyah
-
noh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (religious)
a. Christian
El mártir cristiano fue enterrado debajo de esta iglesia.The Christian martyr was buried under this church.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
2. (religious)
a. Christian
Miles de cristianos viajan a Jerusalén cada año.Thousands of Christians visit Jerusalem every year.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
3. (colloquial) (individual)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
católico(
kah
-
toh
-
lee
-
koh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (religious)
a. Catholic
Louise se casó en una hermosa iglesia católica en Boston.Louise got married in a lovely Catholic church in Boston.
2. (colloquial) (feeling well)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Creo que la gata no está muy católica. No quiere ronronear.I think the cat is a little out of sorts. She won't purr.
Hoy no estoy muy católica; me duele mucho la cabeza.I'm feeling rather under the weather today; I have a terrible headache.
3. (colloquial) (fine)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. nice
El tiempo no está muy católico. Creo que me quedaré en casa.The weather isn't very nice. I think I'll stay at home.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
4. (religious)
a. Catholic
Los católicos creen que el papa es el representante de Dios en la Tierra.Catholics believe the Pope is God's representative on Earth.
