What Does "Encanto" Mean in Spanish?
Meaning of Encanto
We all know that we can’t talk about Bruno, but let’s talk about what encanto means in Spanish!
Disney’s Encanto hit the scene in 2021, and its earworm “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” topped the charts in the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom! With talk (or not) of Bruno all over the airwaves, you might be asking yourself, “What does encanto mean in Spanish anyway?”
Encanto is a masculine noun that can be translated as charm, spell, charming, lovely, or darling.
Encanto the Movie
In the movie Encanto, it’s likely that the choice of the word encanto is referring to the spell—or miracle—that gives the Madrigal family their powers. Nearly all the members of the Madrigal family, except poor Mirabel, have been granted special powers. Even the beloved family home, casita(home), is magical!
However, the translation spell is not the only use of the word encanto in the movie! If you listen to the lyrics in the last song in the movie, you’ll hear Carlos Vives sing: “Colombia, te quiero tanto. Que siempre me enamora tu encanto.” (Colombia, I love you so much. Your charm always makes me fall in love with you.)
How to Say Encanto in English
Let’s check out some examples of how we can use encanto in a sentence, and how this charm of a word can be translated into Spanish.
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Magic Realism in Encanto
The Madrigal family lives in Colombia, also home to Gabriel García Márquez, the undisputed king of magic realism. The directors of Encanto have talked about how Latin America’s magic realism influenced the movie. So, what is realismo mágico(magic realism)?
What is Magic Realism?
El realismo mágico, magic realism or magical realism, is a style of writing that seamlessly incorporates magic with reality. While authors throughout the world could arguably be credited with using this literary style, the most-well known authors working in this style are from Latin America. Have you read any books by Laura Esquivel, Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, or Gabriel García Márquez? They are some of the most prominent writers from Latinoamérica(Latin America) that use realismo mágico in their writing.
Magic Realism in Literature
Did you enjoy how magic blended with reality in Encanto? Check out these books that incorporate magic realism!
Now that you know what encanto means, why not learn some other great phrases by checking out these articles!
