igual

Igual is a word used in Spanish and Portuguese that means "the same," "identical," or "equal." It derives from Latin aequalis and is cognate with related terms in other Romance languages that express equality or similarity.

In Spanish, igual is an adjective that agrees with the gender and number of the noun: for example, un coche igual (masculine singular) or dos coches iguales (masculine plural). It describes similarity or equality of quality, quantity, or form. It also appears in expressions such as igual a or igual que to indicate comparison or equality with another thing, as in El rojo es igual al azul.

In Portuguese, igual functions similarly as an adjective: duas pessoas iguais, algo igual a outra coisa. The phrase igual a is used to compare or equate with something, as in o preço é igual ao do ano passado (“the price is the same as last year”). Portuguese also uses the phrase igual a to link items in comparisons and to indicate sameness.

In mathematics, igual is used to denote equality. Phrases such as é igual a and são iguais express that two values or objects are equal, for example 3 + 2 é igual a 5 or os lados são iguais. The symbol of equality, “=”, is referred to as the sinal de igualdade or simply o igual.

Related terms include igualdade (the noun for equality) and synonyms such as idêntico, similar, and equivalente. The exact usage varies slightly by language and context, but the core meaning remains the same across Spanish and Portuguese.