Indeed, U.S.A. is not America!
America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
How should I use the term America then?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
This is how we do it in America.
This is how we do it in the States.
- America is my country and I love it.
- The United States is my country and I love it.
- America lost the Vietnam war.
- U.S.A. lost the Vietnam war.
- Here in America we love Mc Donald's.
- Here in the U.S. we love Mc Donald's.
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Comments (1251)
“Yo sé que en castellano utilizamos el término americano para referirnos a las personas estadounidenses....”
“De todas maneras en España lamentablemente tambien se usan las palabras americano y norte-americano cuando lo que se quiere decir es estadounidense....”
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/american-north-american.1554864/
How about this?
PREGUNTA:
“En España es más común decir "estadounidense" o "americano" al referirse a una persona de EE.UU.?”
RESPUESTAS:
“Al menos en mi entorno (sur de España), la gente suele utilizar "americano".”
“De forma casual o informal, «americano» es bastante común....”
“[A]mericano es mucho más comun.”
“Americano es más común.”
“Para personas de Estados Unidos informalmente se suele usar americanos....”
https://bit.ly/2Q08aso
This one is probably interesting and revealing. Please translate for me.
Let's call the country Usonia.
Let’s not. The country already has a number of names that are well-known all over the world. There’s no good reason to make a change.
United States of America is not a real name.
United States of Usonia is a real name for the country.
So USONIA IS THE APPROPRIATE SHORT NAME, and USONIAN IS THE APPROPRIATE DEMONYM for the country, period!
Rumor has it that Mrs. Roda Saris Anonymous made a New Year’s resolution to not post any BS on the internet. This means that she can’t post anything on this site because what she posts is always the quintessence of BS.
Dave made no such resolution, so he continues to post his special brand of garbage.
and because The President Of Mexico would keep making "Mexico Great Again" he should not mind on paying for the wall to "Keep America Great", that job does not belong to "The United States Of America" itself or does it?.
"Keep America Great" belongs to everybody in "America (the americas or those americas hence these america?)".
Why is it so hard to understand it?
Everybody keep it great!
So "make America great again" also includes Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela etc. etc. Nice to hear! I always thought Trump meant something else.
Well, Mexicans say "Let's Make Mexico Great Again"
Canadians say "Let's make Canada Great Again"
Get a name as a country and the confusions would be cleared out.
That's like saying "Let's make Europe great again".
"Of America" means it belongs to America.
If he is trying to make America great again it also includes the continent not just "The United States".
Every time I hear the president says that frase I just don't think about "The United States" itself, I think a little broader and see it as I should and as what it is, "America".
He is making a wall, great!
He raised the minimum wage from US $8.25/h to US $15/h and that's great.
Even though he is doing it for the American people of the United States of America mainly I still see it great for America in general!.
It is up to you to accept if he refers to the country or the continent but overall he is doing the greatest job for America!.
The good people need support and it makes me proud to keep the great ones up!
El diccionario de la Real Academia Española recientemente ha modificado la definición de América y americano, probando que en la actualidad estas palabras son generalmente usadas en referencia a los Estados Unidos y desaconsejando el uso con este inapropiado significado.
https://www.telesurtv.net/imreporter/Yo-tambien-soy-americano-De-verdad-20151105-0033.html
Could you translate that for me?
You should use Google Translate.
The reason people for the "United States of America" are referred to as "Americans" is because it is a plural version of the full name of the country we come from. Much the same way as people from Brazil are referred to as Brazilians or people from Columbia are referred to as Columbians. This is for english only, I can't comment on other languages. BTW, this term was applied to citizens of the United States of America from other english speaking people long before we started using it on ourselves (after all, we're notorious for not visiting other countries).
German wrote:
I've never heard any Spaniards call the USA "América". The RAE states "uso abusivo", but the spanish meaning of "abusivo" has nothing to do "majority". "Abusar" is to make inadequate use of something. The only way Spaniards may hear "americano" as synonym of the USA is through US movies poorly doubbed by Puerto Ricans. I usually watch TVE and Antena 3, and have spoken with Spaniards a thousand times, and believe me: nobody in Spain calls the USA "América".
so yeah we are americans to because we were born in America (THE CONTINENT), you can't say anyone that was born here that is not an American, that means that i'm american too because i was born in America the continent.
Exactly. You are American in the continental sense, but not in the national sense. US citizens are Americans in both the continental and national sense. If a group is speaking English and discussing nationalities, you should know that people will think you are saying you are a US citizen if you describe yourself as American. You might not like this fact, but it is a fact nonetheless. You don’t have to like it, but you must acknowledge the fact that not every human being uses ‘America’ and ‘American’ exactly as you might want them to. Let’s have three cheers for reality!