identidad
nounCEFR B2
What does “identidad” mean in English?
identity
identity (who someone fundamentally is, shaped by culture, history, and experience; identidad cultural/nacional/de género)
Example sentences
La identidad de los jóvenes migrantes se construye en la intersección entre la cultura de origen y la del país de acogida.
The identity of young migrants is constructed at the intersection of their culture of origin and that of the host country.
Cuestionar la identidad nacional no equivale a rechazarla; puede ser la forma más honesta de comprenderla.
Questioning national identity is not the same as rejecting it; it may be the most honest way to understand it.
La pérdida de la lengua materna representa a menudo una crisis de identidad que va mucho más allá del plano lingüístico.
The loss of one's mother tongue often represents an identity crisis that goes far beyond the linguistic dimension.
How to use it
La identidad means 'identity' — who or what someone fundamentally is, shaped by culture, history, community, and personal experience. At B2 it appears in journalism and social discourse: identidad cultural, identidad nacional, identidad de género. The verb construir/cuestionar/perder la identidad shows how fluid the concept is treated in Spanish-language discourse. Don't confuse with identificación (the act of identifying, or an ID document) — identidad is the abstract concept, not the card.
Common mistake
Don't translate 'identity card' as identidad — that is carnet/DNI/documento de identidad. In abstract discourse, identidad refers to the psychological and cultural concept, not a document. Also: la identidad is singular even when referring to a collective — 'la identidad española' (not *las identidades española).