fiador
/fjaˈdoɾ/
The English phrase bail bondsman is translated into Spanish as fiador.
A bail bondsman is a person who provides a financial guarantee to a court to ensure a defendant returns for their trial. While fiador can broadly mean any guarantor or cosigner in a general legal or financial sense, in the context of criminal law, it specifically refers to the person providing bail.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun fiador is masculine and changes to fiadora to refer to a female bail bondsman.
How do you pronounce it?
/fjaˈdoɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the professional 'bail bondsman' industry does not exist as it does in the US. The fiador is often a friend or family member acting as a personal guarantor rather than a paid professional.
- The word fiador shares a deep linguistic root with the English word 'fidelity', as both trace back to the Latin word fīdere, meaning 'to trust'.
- While a 'bail bondsman' is a specific legal role, calling someone a fiador in a casual setting can sometimes imply they are someone who 'vouches' for your character.
Examples in context
- El agente de fianzas me explicó los términos del contrato de la fianza.The bail bondsman explained the terms of the bond contract to me.
- Necesito un fiador confiable para obtener la libertad provisional.I need a reliable bail bondsman to get me bail.
- El fiador aceptó el caso de inmediato.The bail bondsman accepted the case immediately.
- Necesitamos hablar con un fiador rápidamente.We need to talk to a bail bondsman quickly.
- El fiador requiere un depósito en efectivo.The bail bondsman requires a cash deposit.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing a legal problem.
- MateoNo tenemos dinero para la fianza.We don't have money for the bail.
- ElenaPodemos buscar un fiador entonces.We can look for a bail bondsman then.
- Mateo¿Conoces a algún fiador confiable?Do you know any reliable bail bondsman?
- ElenaSí, yo conozco a uno.Yes, I know one.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fiador, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fiador, CC BY-SA 4.0.
