autodidacta
adjectiveCEFR B1
What does “autodidacta” mean in English?
self-taught, autodidact
self-taught, autodidact (invariable for gender; can be adjective or noun)
Example sentences
Muchos de los mejores cocineros del mundo son autodidactas que nunca pasaron por una escuela culinaria oficial, sino que aprendieron trabajando en cocinas profesionales desde jóvenes.
Many of the world's best chefs are self-taught — they never went through an official culinary school but learned by working in professional kitchens from a young age.
Soy prácticamente autodidacta en inglés: aprendí con series de televisión, canciones y conversaciones con amigos, sin apenas seguir un método estructurado.
I am practically self-taught in English: I learned with TV series, songs, and conversations with friends, without barely following a structured method.
Para una persona autodidacta, la disciplina y la gestión del tiempo son habilidades tan importantes como el propio contenido que quiere aprender.
For a self-taught person, discipline and time management are skills just as important as the content itself they want to learn.
How to use it
Autodidacta means 'self-taught' or 'autodidact'. It is invariable for gender — the same form is used for masculine and feminine: el músico autodidacta, la programadora autodidacta. It can function as both an adjective (es autodidacta = he/she is self-taught) and a noun (un autodidacta = a self-taught person). At B1 it is common in discussions of online learning, professional development outside formal education, and language acquisition without institutional instruction. It describes a person who has acquired skills or knowledge independently, without formal teaching.
Common mistake
Autodidacta is invariable — do not add -o for masculine or -a for feminine: always autodidacta. Compare with most adjectives that change ending by gender. In formal writing, autodidacta is preferred; in informal speech, 'aprendí solo' or 'me lo enseñé yo mismo' are more common. The English word 'autodidact' exists but is quite formal — in everyday English, 'self-taught' is the normal equivalent.