tíos
/tios/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "aunts and uncles" is translated as tíos.
The term refers to the siblings of one's parents.
Which one should you use?
The form tíos is the masculine plural used for a mixed-gender group of aunts and uncles. If you are referring exclusively to a group of aunts, you should use the feminine plural tías. For a single male, use the masculine singular tío and for a single female, use the feminine singular tía.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of tío and tía to mean "guy" or "girl" is particularly common in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gender and number of the word change based on the people being described: tío is the masculine singular for one uncle, tía is the feminine singular for one aunt, tíos is the masculine plural for a mixed-gender group of aunts and uncles and tías is the feminine plural for a group of only aunts.
How do you pronounce it?
/tios/
Did you know?
- Because of the way gender works in Spanish, a group of one hundred aunts and only one uncle is still grammatically referred to as tíos.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the term tío or tía is often used as a sign of respect for any older male or female friend of the parents, even if there is no biological blood relation.
- In some Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico, calling a stranger tío or tía might actually sound quite odd or even patronizing, unlike the very common slang usage found in Spain.
Examples in context
- Mis tíos viven en Madrid.My aunts and uncles live in Madrid.
- ¿Conoces a mis tíos?Do you know my aunts and uncles?
- Tengo muchos tíos y tías.I have many aunts and uncles.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are looking at old family photos.
- Daniel¿Quiénes son ellos en esta foto?Who are they in this photo?
- LucíaEllos son mis tíos.They are my aunts and uncles.
- DanielParecen personas muy simpáticas.They seem like very nice people.
- LucíaSí, mis tíos son muy divertidos.Yes, my aunts and uncles are very funny.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
