Let’s continue our policy of separating out the differences in usage between pairs of similar-looking Spanish words by homing in on política and político.
Starting with the feminine noun política, you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
La política is all the activities involved in achieving power and running a country or society (or even a smaller body) as well as beliefs and doctrines about how this should be done, and the related field of study. So what is it? Politics.
Antes de entrar en política, trabajó en la empresa de construcción de su padre.
Before entering politics he worked at his father’s construction company.
Regresó a la política en 1984.
He returned to politics in 1984.
Estudió política en la Universidad de Exeter.
She studied politics at Exeter University.
Su organización no quería ser asociada con la política de izquierdas o de derechas.
His organization didn’t want to be associated with left-wing or right-wing politics.
In politics as well as in other spheres of life, una política is a position or a particular plan or set of plans in relation to something – a policy:
Su política exterior es comparable a la de otras potencias intermedias.
Its foreign policy is comparable to that of other medium-sized powers.
La empresa mantuvo una estricta política hacia los contenidos de videojuegos.
The company maintained a strict policy in relation to videogame content.
Modificaron su política sobre los deportistas transexuales.
They amended their policy on transsexual sportspeople.
Una política is also a woman who is involved in politics – a politician.
Es política y diplomática.
She’s a politician and a diplomat.
Fue una médica y política francesa.
She was a French doctor and politician.
Turning to the masculine noun político, you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
Unsurprisingly, given the last sense, un politico is a man who’s involved in politics – a politician:
Es un político y agricultor noruego.
He’s a Norwegian politician and farmer.
Desde 1925, la calle pasó a llamarse calle Antonio Maura en homenaje a este político.
Since 1925, the street has been called Antonio Maura Street in honour of this politician.
También es uno de los políticos chinos más influyentes en Malasia.
He’s also one of the most influential Malaysian politicians.
Having separated out the main noun uses of político/política, it’s time to turn to its commonest use as an adjective (whose ending naturally varies to agree in gender and number with the noun it describes).
Político is used to describe things to do with politics. It means political.
una lista de todos los candidatos de cada partido político
a list of all the candidates for each political party
Liberaron a unos 200 presos políticos.
They freed some 200 political prisoners.
A las estrellas de cine que habían participado en actividades políticas se les prohibió aparecer en películas.
Film stars who had taken part in political activities were banned from appearing in movies.
Las letras eran muy políticas.
The lyrics were very political.
Político is also used to describe relationships that are by marriage rather than by blood:
Es hermano político de este cantante sueco.
He is a brother-in-law of this Swedish singer.
Tiene tres hijos (Darío, Elena y Tania), además de sus hijos políticos (Antonio, Rubén y Patricia).
He has three children (Darío, Elena and Tania) in addition to his sons-in-law and daughter-in-law (Antonio, Rubén and Patricia).
Juan Antonio fue su tío político.
Juan Antonio was his uncle-in-law.
un libro de 16 páginas escrito por su hermana política
a 16-page book written by his sister-in-law
DID YOU KNOW?
There are single-word Spanish terms which express some relationships by marriage in Spanish. See if you know them.
- Mi (father-in-law) es alemán.
- El baile fue organizado por su (sister-in-law), Alva.
- A medianoche, llamó a su (mother-in-law).
- Fue enterrada con su esposo, hija, (son-in-law) y otros miembros de la familia en la tumba familiar en el cementerio de allí.
- Tenía una relación muy cercana con sus (parents-in-law).
- Nota que su hermana no parece muy feliz viviendo con su (brother-in-law).
- Irina y John tienen dos hijos, (a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law) y tres nietos.
ANSWERS
- Mi suegro es alemán.
My father-in-law is German.
- El baile fue organizado por su cuñada, Alva.
The dance was organized by his sister-in-law, Alva.
- A medianoche, llamó a su suegra.
At midnight he called his mother-in-law.
- Fue enterrada con su esposo, hija, yerno y otros miembros de la familia.
She was buried with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and other members of the family.
- Tenía una relación muy cercana con sus suegros.
He had a very close relationship with his parents-in-law.
- Nota que su hermana no parece muy feliz viviendo con su cuñado.
She notices that her sister doesn’t seem very happy living with her brother-in-law.
- Irina y John tienen dos hijos, una nuera, un yerno y tres nietos.
Irina and John have two children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law and three grandchildren.
To check out the usage of some more linked or closely related Spanish words, come back next week.
