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"Last name" is a noun which is often translated as "el apellido", and "middle name" is a noun which is often translated as "el segundo nombre". Learn more about the difference between "last name" and "middle name" below.
last name(
lahst
neym
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (surname)
a. el apellido (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Her last name is a very common one in that country.Su apellido es uno muy popular en ese país.
middle name(
mih
-
duhl
neym
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el segundo nombre (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
My middle name is Boris because my mom's from Russia.Mi segundo nombre es Boris porque mi mamá es rusa.
2. (figurative) (word that best describes someone)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Guts is Alice's middle name.Alice es el coraje personificado.
Honesty was Frank's middle name.Frank era la honradez en persona.
