orfanato

orphanage

noun or-fah-NAH-toh Rare

Origin: From Latin 'orphanus' (orphan), from Greek 'orphanos'.

Usage Note

Orfanato is the standard term across the Spanish-speaking world for an institution that houses orphaned children. The related noun huérfano/huérfana means 'orphan'; its hue- spelling reflects the Spanish diphthongization of a stressed Latin short o, which does not occur in the unstressed o of orfanato — a point of confusion for learners.

Examples

"Varios niños crecieron en el orfanato del barrio."

Natural Translation

Several children grew up in the neighborhood orphanage.

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