cuban

cuban — adjective

IPA/ˈkjuːbən/
KK[kjˈubən]IPA/ˈkjuːbən/
  • cubanpositive
  • more cubancomparative
  • most cubansuperlative

1. describes a person, place, object, or tradition that comes from the Caribbean is

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a person, place, object, or tradition that comes from the Caribbean island country of Cuba or is connected to it.

Example

Jisoo learned to cook Cuban food from her grandmother in Havana.

collocation: Cuban food / Cuban music / Cuban culture

The museum has a large collection of Cuban art from the 1950s.

Common collocations
  • Cuban cigar
  • Cuban sandwich
  • Cuban missile crisis
  • Cuban cuisine
  • Cuban art
  • Cuban music
  • Cuban flag

Grammar Patterns

Cuban + noun

be + Cuban

Usage Note

Always capitalized, like all nationality words in English. Can describe people ('Cuban musicians'), places ('Cuban coastline'), cultural products ('Cuban cinema'), or abstract concepts ('Cuban history').

Common Mistakes

I love cuban coffee.
I love Cuban coffee.
Nationality adjectives must be capitalized in English.

cuban — noun

IPA/ˈkjuː.bən/
KK[kjˈubən]IPA/ˈkjuː.bən/

Word family

  • Cuba
    proper nounA2
  • Cuban-American
    adjectiveB1
  • Cuban-American
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Cuban' is the standard adjective for anything related to the country, its people, or its culture ('Cuban music', 'Cuban history'). 'Cuba's' is the possessive form of the country name and is used for ownership or close association ('Cuba's economy', 'Cuba's beaches'). 'From Cuba' is a prepositional phrase that works after the verb 'be' ('She is from Cuba') or as a post-modifier ('a musician from Cuba'). Use 'Cuban' as an attributive adjective before nouns; use 'from Cuba' when you need a phrase rather than a single-word modifier.

Cuban ↗Cuba'sfrom Cuba

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • Cuban missile crisis
  • Cuban sandwich
  • Cuban cigar

Prepositions

  • from Cuba
  • of Cuban origin
  • in Cuba

Etymology

TaínoSpanishEnglish

The word 'Cuban' comes from Spanish 'Cubano', which developed from the Taíno word 'Cubanacán', meaning 'where fertile land is abundant'. The Taíno were the native people living on the island before Europeans arrived. The word entered English in the 1500s, following Spanish colonization.