¿Español o Castellano? Spanish or Castilian?

Esta es una de las preguntas más comunes que mis estudiantes me hacen todo el tiempo, principalmente de los estudiantes brasileños.

Por si no lo sabes el idioma que hablamos más de 500 millones de personas tiene dos formas de hablarlo: Español o Castellano, aunque en inglés es más popular conocerlo como Spanish y no Castilian. Sin embargo para otras lenguas de descendencia latina las dos palabras son conocidas y por eso hay algo de confusión.

Pero la verdad es que las dos denominaciones de la lengua son sinónimas, es decir son la misma cosa. Sin embargo la Real Academia Española (RAE) que es la principal organización que vela por la lengua panhispánica, es clara en resaltar que lo correcto es decir ESPAÑOL.

La RAE se refiere al Español como “Lengua romance que se habla en España, gran parte de América, Filipinas, Guinea Ecuatorial y otros lugares del mundo”. También la RAE denomina al Castellano como “Dialecto romance originario de Castilla, del que fundamentalmente proviene el español”.

Por eso muchacho yo les recomiendo referirse al idioma hispano como español y usen Castellano solo para diferenciarlo de otras lenguas nativas de España como el Euskera, Catalán, Gallego etc. Porque si no lo sabías en España se hablan 6 idiomas oficiales y el Castellano es una de ellas que también se le conoce como Español.

Si tienes más dudas puedes enviarme un mensaje y con gusto la responderé.

Abstract in English:

My native language is also well-known as Castilian. So you can say I Speak Spanish or Castilian. However the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) recommends using SPANISH instead of Castilian. You can use Castilian to differentiate it from other languages in Spain. Yes, Spain has 6 official languages but the Castilian (from Castilla-Aragon province) is the only spoken by all in Spain, so Castilian is Spanish.

I know that is a little bit confuse, but some students have that kind doubts, specially students from Brazil. Remember you are learning Spanish, no matter if you are from USA, Europe, Canada or Brazil.

You have doubts or curiosities about Spanish or Portuguese, share them with me.

10 de marzo de 2017
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Wolf Rojas

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Flag
Español
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Colombia
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9.185
Habla:
Español
Nativo
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Portugués
C2
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Inglés
B2
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Francés
A1
👋 Hi! I wanted to let you know that I will be on vacation from December 15th to January 5th. During that time, I won’t be available for lessons, but you can still book classes normally for dates after my return. I also want to thank you for this year we’ve spent together: for your dedication, consistency, and for trusting me as your teacher. It has truly been a pleasure to accompany you on your learning journey. I wish you all wonderful holidays, full of rest, joy, and good moments 🎄🎆🥳. And of course, let’s keep moving forward in the new year! You’ve made amazing progress, and I’m sure 2026 will bring even more opportunities to continue growing with your Spanish. Happy holidays, and see you soon! 😊 __________________________________________________ Hi! My name is Wolfang "Wolf" Rojas, I am from Colombia (not from Germany, as many people think, haha 😅). Currently, I live in Brazil, where I also work as a Spanish teacher. With 12 years of dedicated teaching experience, I've hel...
Flag
Español
globe
Colombia
time
9.185
Habla:
Español
Nativo
,
Portugués
C2
,
Inglés
B2
,
Francés
A1
👋 Hi! I wanted to let you know that I will be on vacation from December 15th to January 5th. During that time, I won’t be available for lessons, but you can still book classes normally for dates after my return. I also want to thank you for this year we’ve spent together: for your dedication, consistency, and for trusting me as your teacher. It has truly been a pleasure to accompany you on your learning journey. I wish you all wonderful holidays, full of rest, joy, and good moments 🎄🎆🥳. And of course, let’s keep moving forward in the new year! You’ve made amazing progress, and I’m sure 2026 will bring even more opportunities to continue growing with your Spanish. Happy holidays, and see you soon! 😊 __________________________________________________ Hi! My name is Wolfang "Wolf" Rojas, I am from Colombia (not from Germany, as many people think, haha 😅). Currently, I live in Brazil, where I also work as a Spanish teacher. With 12 years of dedicated teaching experience, I've hel...
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