Quick Answer:
“The New York Times crossword clue ‘___ York, Spanish name for New York’ is answered with NUEVA.”
Clue: “___ York, Spanish name for New York”
Answer: NUEVA
Length: 5 letters
Clue number and direction: 3-Down
Why “NUEVA” Is the Right NYT Answer
- In Spanish, New York is translated as “Nueva York”, so the missing word before “York” must be NUEVA. NYT Mini helper sites for the February 4, 2026 puzzle explicitly give NUEVA as the 5-letter solution to this clue.
- The grid slot for 3-Down takes five letters, and NUEVA fits perfectly as N-U-E-V-A, commonly appearing with patterns like NUE_A or _UEVA once crossings are filled.
- Since “New, in Spanish” is often clued as NUEVO/NUEVA, constructors lean on this familiar vocabulary item for short themed entries.
What “NUEVA” Means in Plain English
- Nueva is the feminine form of “new” in Spanish, used with feminine nouns. In the phrase “Nueva York,” the word “ciudad” (city), which is feminine in Spanish, is implied, so the adjective also takes the feminine form.
- So “Nueva York” is simply the standard Spanish name for New York, both for the city and sometimes for the state, depending on context. For crossword solving, all you really need is: “New York” in Spanish = Nueva York, so the blank is NUEVA.
Crossword-Specific Help for 3-Down
Definition: Spanish name for New York.
Pattern: “___ York” with 5 letters → NUEVA.
As you fill crosses, you might see:
N U E _ A
_ U E V A
Either pattern sharply points to NUEVA and confirms that the clue is referencing Spanish, not an English phrase. NUEVA (and its masculine counterpart NUEVO) shows up regularly in crosswords in clues like “New, in Spanish” or “Año ___.”
Because of the language indicator (“Spanish name”), you can be confident the puzzle wants a Spanish word rather than something like “Big” or “Old.”
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Spanish Clues
Language-tagged clues usually follow this pattern:
“New, in Spanish” → NUEVO or NUEVA, depending on length.
“Year, in Spanish” → AÑO.
“The, in Spanish” → EL/LA/LOS/LAS, depending on letter count.
When a clue mentions “Spanish name for X”, expect:
A direct translation (e.g., “New York” → Nueva York → NUEVA for the blank).
That accents are typically dropped in the grid (e.g., AÑO → ANO in some puzzles).
Always read the clue carefully for the language indicator—“in Spanish,” “in Mexico,” or “in Madrid” are strong signals the entry is a Spanish word.
