Aficionado: The Spanish Word That English Stole (And We're Not Sorry)
The word 'aficionado' means passionate fan — but its roots go back to Latin 'affection.' Discover the surprising origin of this beloved Spanish loanword.
You've Been Using Spanish This Whole Time
Next time you call yourself a "coffee aficionado" or a "film aficionado," you're speaking Spanish — and Latin before that. English didn't invent this word. It borrowed it, kept it, and never gave it back.
The Word
Aficionado (ah-fee-syoh-NAH-doh)
noun — A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a subject or activity. A devoted fan. A passionate enthusiast.
Used in English and Spanish. If you love something deeply, you might be an aficionado of it.
Origin Story
Aficionado comes from the Spanish verb aficionar — "to inspire affection in someone" or "to make someone passionate about something."
That verb traces back to the Spanish noun afición, meaning deep passion, love, or enthusiasm for something. And afición itself comes straight from Latin: affectionem — the root of the English word affection.
So when you say you're an aficionado of something, you're saying: I have affection for this thing. Deep, nerdy, can't-stop-talking-about-it affection.
The word entered English from Spanish bullfighting culture in the 1800s. An aficionado was originally a devoted fan of la corrida — someone who studied the art form obsessively, not just a casual spectator. The word carried prestige: an aficionado knew things.
Fun Fact
Ernest Hemingway helped bring aficionado into English with his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. He used it to describe true fans of bullfighting — people who felt the sport in their soul, not just their eyes. Hemingway was himself obsessed with Spain, and thanks to him, the word jumped from bullfighting arenas to coffee shops, record stores, and anywhere else passionate nerds gather.
Use It
- Soy aficionado al fútbol. — I'm a football fan / enthusiast.
- Ella es una aficionada del cine. — She's a film aficionado.
- Los aficionados aplaudieron. — The fans applauded.
(Note: the feminine form is aficionada. Spanish always matches gender!)
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