soltero
/solˈteɾo/
The Spanish word for bachelor is soltero.
The term refers to an unmarried man. It can also refer to a bachelor's degree through the phrase título de licenciatura.
Meaning: unmarried man (noun)
Which one should you use?
While soltero is the standard term for an unmarried man, the form solterón is used colloquially to refer to a bachelor who is at a relatively older age.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the colloquial term solterón is often used to refer to a single person at an older age.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number. The feminine form is soltera for an unmarried woman, and the plural form is solteros for a group of men or a mixed-gender group of single people.
How do you pronounce it?
/solˈteɾo/
Did you know?
- A 'bachelor party' is called a despedida de soltero, which means 'farewell to the bachelor'. The phrase frames the party as a funeral for the man's single life.
- The word soltero shares an ancient root with the English word 'solitary', as both descend from the Latin 'solitarius' meaning 'lonely'.
- The word soltero is the root for soltería, a noun that describes the entire lifestyle and experience of being single rather than just a legal status.
Examples in context
- Tom es un soltero empedernido.Tom is a confirmed bachelor.This sentence shows how to use soltero to describe a confirmed bachelor.Tatoeba #1144512 by cueyayotl, translation #1144189 by CK
- Por todas partes se mezclaba el lujo del hombre rico en buen gusto y la descuidada dejadez del soltero.Everywhere there were mingled the luxury of the wealthy man of taste and the careless untidiness of the bachelor.This sentence uses soltero to describe the untidiness of a bachelor.Tatoeba #6855441 by albrusgher, translation #6670834 by Hybrid
- Una persona es un soltero si y solo si esa persona es un hombre en edad de casarse que nunca se ha casado.A person is a bachelor if and only if that person is a marriageable man who has never married.This sentence provides a formal definition using the word soltero.Tatoeba #1723584 by teskmon, translation #1477301 by eastasiastudent
- ¿Conoces a Juan? Sí, él es soltero.Do you know Juan? Yes, he's single.
- María busca un hombre soltero y sin compromisos.María is looking for an unmarried and unattached man.
- ¡Mira! Ahí viene el solterón del vecindario.Look! There comes the neighborhood bachelor.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing a mutual friend's relationship status.
- Daniel¿Sabes si Marcos ya se casó?Do you know if Marcos got married already?
- ElenaNo, él todavía es soltero.No, he is still a bachelor.
- DanielParece que disfruta mucho su vida de soltero.It seems he really enjoys his bachelor life.
- ElenaSí, no tiene prisa por casarse.Yes, he is in no rush to get married.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soltero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soltero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
