ENGLISH
REFERENCE

carlos

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈkɑɹɫoʊs// car·los
Definition

n. a common name for a man or boy in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is the Spanish version of the English name Charles.

n. a masculine proper noun of Germanic origin, serving as the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Charles. It is widely used across Ibero-American cultures.


SIMPLE

Carlos is my best friend from school.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager introduced Carlos as the new head of the engineering department this morning.

COMPLEX

Historical records indicate that Carlos was a name frequently bestowed upon royalty throughout the Iberian Peninsula, signifying strength and free status.

Origin

Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish Carlos. Doublet of Carl, Charles, and Karl.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Usage

As a proper noun, it is always capitalised and typically used without an article unless referring to a specific individual among others of the same name.

Last updated May 2, 2026