ProZ.com global directory of translation services
 The translation workplace
Ideas
KudoZ home » Spanish to English » Tourism & Travel

estadounidense y británico

English translation: US citizen & UK citizen || a citizen of the United States/United Kingdom || a US/UK passport holder


Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:estadounidense y británico
English translation:US citizen & UK citizen || a citizen of the United States/United Kingdom || a US/UK passport holder
Entered by: María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

03:06 May 3, 2007
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Tourism & Travel / Question about nationalities in English
Spanish term or phrase: estadounidense y británico
This may sound like an obvious thing, but I've just realized that, when it comes to translating these particular nationalities from English into Spanish, I have no problem. But now that I'm doing it backwards, it got me thinking.

My document is a shareholders' agreement. Standard boilerplate, right? However, one of the parties mentioned is "Mr. So-and-So, male, *estadounidense*, of legal age, with passport No., etc."

Would "American" be the standard thing to put here? I usually translate "American" as "estadounidense" in Spanish, if that's the intended meaning is. But... is it obviously the same in the other direction?

The other one is "Ms. So-and-So, female, *británica*, of legal age, with passport No., etc.". Would that be "British", just like that, in English?

I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but I'd rather be sure than sorry ;)

Thanks!!
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Panama
Local time: 03:00
US -UK citizen
Explanation:
is how I would solve the "problem"
Mr. X, US citizen or Mr. X
Mrs. Y, UK citizen
and with this you will not offend anyone, English or Scottish, native American or South-American etc.
Selected response from:

SwissTell
Local time: 04:00
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +25US -UK citizen
SwissTell
4 +4US/UK/British passport holder/carrier of US/UK passport number....
Noni Gilbert
4 +3American and BritishMargarita M. Martínez
5[a citizen] of the United States AND of the United Kingdom [or, if you're sure, Great Britain]
Deborah Workman


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +25
US -UK citizen


Explanation:
is how I would solve the "problem"
Mr. X, US citizen or Mr. X
Mrs. Y, UK citizen
and with this you will not offend anyone, English or Scottish, native American or South-American etc.

SwissTell
Local time: 04:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 23
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks :) That's what I was trying to avoid: offeding anyone! ;) Funny how such a simple thing can get so complicated, eh?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cyberdrella
6 mins
  -> thank you

agree  bigedsenior: Yes! This avoids stepping on someone's sensibilities.
16 mins
  -> thanks and gracias

agree  Margarita M. Martínez
29 mins
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Claudia Luque Bedregal
31 mins
  -> thanks you

agree  Cecilia Della Croce
33 mins
  -> muchas gracias

agree  jairo payan
38 mins
  -> thank you

agree  Francisco Pavez: many of us are a bit touchy on the use of the terms America and American to denote the United States OF America and her citizens
1 hr
  -> and I know it too ..... thanks

agree  Annissa 7ar
1 hr
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Joaquim Siles-Borràs
2 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  David Brown: As a Scot, I can confirm that I am British. But I have noticed, in Spain, nearly everyone referes to "Inglaterra" when they really mean "Reino Unido" and "ingleses" when they really mean "britanicos"
2 hrs
  -> thanks and cheers

agree  neilmac: Perfect solution (and note to DB- only we Jocks notice though! Happens all over the world).
4 hrs
  -> thanks a lot

agree  Swatchka
4 hrs
  -> thank you

agree  Vanesa Camarasa
4 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Carol Gullidge: probably the simplest solution for this context!
4 hrs
  -> thanks. Yes, the so-called KISS approach

agree  cristina estanislau
4 hrs

agree  Rachel Fell: definitely for this context - or "citizen of the United States (of America)/the United Kingdom" where nec.
5 hrs
  -> thank you, Rachel

agree  Noni Gilbert
5 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  patricia scott
5 hrs
  -> thank you

agree  Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales
5 hrs
  -> thank you

agree  MargaEsther
10 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Gacela20
18 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Ana Belen Almada
19 hrs
  -> muchas gracias

agree  Christian Nielsen-Palacios: now... if we could only teach this to the "Americans"....
23 hrs
  -> thanks, Christian. I know what you mean and do my best ....

agree  Marina56: ok
1 day5 hrs
  -> gracias, Marina

agree  Xenia Wong
1 day14 hrs
  -> thanks a lot
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
American and British


Explanation:
(unless an American or British tells me I am wrong).

Creo que es así, María Teresa.

Saludos, mmm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2007-05-03 03:44:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oxford English Dictionary:

American

• adjective relating to the United States or to the continents of America.

• noun a person from the United States or any of the countries of North, South, or Central America.

British

• adjective relating to Great Britain or the United Kingdom.

However, I think SwissTell's proposal is better. (Just in case!!!) :s) ... :O)

Margarita M. Martínez
Local time: 05:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: Gracias, Margarita, veamos qué dicen los demás. Saludos :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  jairo payan: Con todo respeto no veo porque razón tenemos el complejo de que los americanos son los estadounidenses. . Americanos somos todos, hay sí norteamericanos, centroamericanos y suramericanos. Mi humilde opinión.
40 mins

agree  David Brown: As a Scot, I can confirm that I am British. But I have noticed, in Spain, nearly everyone referes to "Inglaterra" when they really mean "Reino Unido" and "ingleses" when they really mean "britanicos"
2 hrs

agree  Carol Gullidge: Generally, I would use American (meaning from US) and British, without expecting to cause offence to anyone! And, yes, I agree that "English" is used rather liberally as a synonym for all things British
4 hrs

agree  cmwilliams
4 hrs

neutral  Rachel Fell: we may say casually "he/she's from America" or "it's American" and mean the US, but in any more formal context US must be specified
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
US/UK/British passport holder/carrier of US/UK passport number....


Explanation:
I quite agree with SwissTell too - just another option

Noni Gilbert
Local time: 10:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 124

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patricia scott: I'd use this. Clever way of cutting la verborrea.
17 mins
  -> Thank you! Where wd we be without verborrea though?!

agree  Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales: A good alternative, perhaps better in some contexts.
22 mins
  -> Thanks - it is so much a matter of context.

agree  David Cahill: Spot on!
2 hrs
  -> Thanks David.

agree  Neyde: Very clever indeed!
7 hrs
  -> Oh you flatterer!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
[a citizen] of the United States AND of the United Kingdom [or, if you're sure, Great Britain]


Explanation:
In a document such as you describe, "Mr. XYZ, [a citizen] of the United States", etc., would not be uncommon.

SBS BroadcastingMr. Moe is a citizen of the United States. Biography. Graham Bryce Senior Vice President SBS Radio Group ... Mr. Bryce is a citizen of the United Kingdom. ...
www.sbsbroadcasting.com/about.jsp?subpage=management&id=133... - 12k - Cached - Similar pages

[PDF] UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ...File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Ms. Irwin. is a citizen of the United Kingdom, Mr. Missa is a citizen of. Belgium, defendant is a citizen of the United States, and the ...
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2005cv1... - Similar pages

[PDF] UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS         File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Neil Humphrey, a citizen of the United Kingdom, and Carolyn. Humphrey, a citizen of the United States, married on February 2,. 2002 in Burke, Virginia. ...
pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/041036.P.pdf - Similar pages

If you're very sure that only "Great Britain" is being referred to, you can use "Great Britain" instead of "the United Kingdom" but the UK reference is a safe catch-all otherwise. (For the difference, see http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/br...

OSCN Found Document:Cooper v State... and was not a citizen of the United States, but was an alien. ... and that, at the time of the rendition of judgment, he was a citizen of Great Britain. ...
www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=3... - 23k - Cached - Similar pages

FindLaw for Legal Professionals - Case Law, Federal and State ...In that case the testator was a citizen of the United States, his legatees ... The alien claimant was a citizen of Great Britain with whom the United States ...
caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=331&invol=503 - 56k - Cached - Similar pages


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2007-05-04 02:14:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In a formal document you would not say "American". Strictly speaking, anyone who lives in the Americas is an American. It's the same problem as referring to everyone from the UK as "English".

Deborah Workman
United States
Local time: 04:00
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Return to KudoZ list


Changes made by editors
Dec 18, 2007 - Changes made by María Teresa Taylor Oliver:
Created KOG entryKudoZ term => KOG term


KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.



See also: