cariñoso
/kaɾiˈɲoso/
The English word 'affectionate' is translated into Spanish as cariñoso, afectuoso or querendón.
Meaning: loving (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| cariñoso | /kaɾiˈɲoso/ |
| afectuoso | /afeɡˈtwoso/ |
| querendón | /keɾenˈdon/ |
Which one should you use?
Afectuoso is more formal and is often used in professional or polite social contexts, such as a 'warm greeting'. In contrast, querendón is a more colloquial, often cute or slightly exaggerated way to describe someone who is very demonstrative with their affection.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can use the word afectuoso/a to convey 'affectionate' in both formal and informal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective cariñoso must change to the feminine form cariñosa if describing a female person. The adjective takes the plural form cariñosos when describing a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaɾiˈɲoso/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, being described as cariñoso is often tied to physical touch, such as frequent hugging or kissing on the cheek, more so than the English concept of being 'affectionate'.
- The word cariñoso is built from cariño, which is related to the verb 'cariñar', a term often used in certain Spanish dialects to describe the act of petting or stroking an animal.
- The suffix -ón in querendón is an augmentative, which in Spanish can be used to intensify a quality to a point of being somewhat humorous or overwhelming.
Examples in context
- Era muy cariñoso con sus padres.He was very affectionate with his parents.This sentence shows how to use cariñoso to describe a person's behavior toward their parents.Tatoeba #2258548 by hayastan, translation #2258547 by _undertoad
- Siempre ha sido muy cariñoso con sus cuñados.He's always been very affectionate with his in-laws.This sentence demonstrates the use of cariñoso when discussing someone's long-standing temperament toward their in-laws.Tatoeba #435061 by lukaszpp, translation #435060 by lukaszpp
- Nuestro jefe es una persona muy cariñosa y siempre muestra aprecio por su equipo.Our boss is a very affectionate person and always shows appreciation for his team.
- Mi abuela es una persona amorosa que siempre nos demuestra su cariño.My grandmother is an affectionate person who always shows us her love.
- Mi mejor amigo siempre es muy cariñoso y me demuestra mucho amor.My best friend is always very affectionate and shows me a lot of love.
- Mis hermanos son muy tiernos y siempre me abrazan cuando estoy triste.My siblings are very affectionate and always hug me when I'm sad.
- Mi madre es una persona muy afectuosa que siempre está dispuesta a ayudar.My mother is a very affectionate person who is always ready to help.
- Mis hijos son muy amorosos y siempre me demuestran su cariño.My children are very affectionate and always show me their love.
- Mi pareja es muy afectuosa y siempre me hace sentir amado/a.My partner is very affectionate and always makes me feel loved.
- Mi abuelo es un hombre muy cariñoso.My grandfather is a very affectionate man.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing their pets at home.
- Elena¿Cómo es tu perro, Javier?What is your dog like, Javier?
- JavierEs muy cariñoso y le gusta dormir conmigo.He is very affectionate and likes to sleep with me.
- Elena¡Qué suerte! Yo quiero uno así.How lucky! I want one like that.
- JavierÉl es un compañero excelente.He is an excellent companion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “affectionate” translations and entries cariñoso, afectuoso, querendón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
