tía
/ˈtia/feminine
The Spanish word for aunt is tía.
tía refers to a parent's sister or sister-in-law. It can also be used informally to address an aunt.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In many parts of Spain, tía is used colloquially as slang to refer to a woman or a friend, similar to 'girl' or 'chick' in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine plural form tías is used to refer to a group consisting only of aunts. The masculine plural form tíos is used to refer to a group of aunts and uncles together.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtia/
Did you know?
- In Spain, tía is often used as an exclamation of disbelief or frustration, similar to saying 'come on' or 'no way' in English.
- In many Latin American cultures, the term tía is often used as a sign of respect for older women who are not actually related to you.
- The word tía shares an ancient root with the Greek word for 'divine', suggesting a distant connection between the concept of an aunt and the sacred.
Examples in context
- Es tu tía, ¿no?She's your aunt, isn't she?This sentence is useful for confirming a relationship using tía.Tatoeba #10012150 by manufrutos, translation #8526839 by CH
- ¿Qué hace tu tía?What does your aunt do?This sentence is useful for asking about the activities of an aunt using tía.Tatoeba #1403691 by marcelostockle, translation #17411 by CK
- Mi tía nos visitó.My aunt visited us.This sentence is useful for describing a visit from an aunt using tía.Tatoeba #1680925 by termito2nd, translation #11275654 by Luornu
- Buenos días, tía. ¿Cómo estás?Good morning, aunt. How are you?
- Hola, tía. ¿Quieres salir a pasear hoy?Hi, aunt. Do you want to go for a walk today?
- 88 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about family members.
- Lucía¿Cómo está tu tía, Mateo?How is your aunt, Mateo?
- MateoMi tía está muy bien, gracias.My aunt is doing very well, thank you.
- LucíaMe alegro mucho por ella.I am very happy for her.
- MateoElla también te manda saludos.She sends you regards as well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries tía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
