Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "grandfather" in Spanish
"Grandfather" in Spanish is abuelo, pronounced ah-BWEH-loh (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (el abuelo, plural los abuelos).
| Spanish | abuelo |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | ah-BWEH-loh |
| Meaning | grandfather |
| Gender | masculine: el abuelo |
| Plural | los abuelos |
| Frequency | #87 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
How to pronounce abuelo
Abuelo is pronounced ah-BWEH-loh, in IPA /aˈbwelo/. Abuelo has three syllables, ah-BWEH-loh, with the stress on the second. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Is abuelo masculine or feminine?
Abuelo is masculine, so it takes el (the) and un (a): el abuelo. The plural is los abuelos. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -o are masculine.
Example sentences
El abuelo cuenta historias
grandpa tells stories
Mi abuelo lee el periódico.
My grandfather reads the newspaper.
Mi abuelo cuenta historias antiguas.
My grandfather tells old stories.
"Grandfather" in Spain and Latin America
Los abuelos means grandparents as well as grandfathers.
Other words you will hear
- abuelito — grandpa, affectionate
- yayo — Spain, informal: grandpa
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember abuelo
abuelo [ah-BWEH-loh] sounds like the English “a-boo, hello”. Picture this:
Grandpa jumps out: «a-boo!... hello» — scares you first, then hands you candy.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice abuelo
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.