guardaespaldas
/ˌɡwaɾdaesˈpaldas/feminine, masculine
The Spanish word for bodyguard is guardaespaldas. If unsure, use guardaespaldas. Wiktionary also lists escolta and espaldero.
Meaning: person responsible for protecting someone (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| guardaespaldas | /ˌɡwaɾdaesˈpaldas/ | feminine, masculine |
| escolta | /esˈkolta/ | feminine, masculine |
| espaldero | /espalˈdeɾo/ | Dominican Republic, Venezuela, masculine |
The term refers to a person responsible for protecting someone. This word is widely used across both Spain and Latin American countries.
Which one should you use?
While guardaespaldas specifically refers to a person providing physical protection, escolta can refer to a person or a group of people providing an escort or formal accompaniment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, the masculine form espaldero is used. In Colombia, the term guachimán is used to refer to either a bodyguard or a security guard.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word guardaespaldas is invariable in number, meaning the form remains exactly the same whether you are talking about one bodyguard or multiple bodyguards.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɡwaɾdaesˈpaldas/
Did you know?
- The Colombian term guachimán is a phonetic adaptation of the English phrase 'watchman'.
- The word escolta is not native to Spanish but was borrowed from the Italian word scorta, meaning 'accompaniment'.
Examples in context
- Les hará falta un guardaespaldas.You will need a bodyguard.This sentence shows how to express that someone will need a guardaespaldas.Tatoeba #10553635 by ecorralest101, translation #1635760 by Spamster
- Lo que necesito es un guardaespaldas.What I need is a bodyguard.This sentence is used to state a requirement for a guardaespaldas.Tatoeba #3541542 by marcelostockle, translation #9086943 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Quieres que yo sea tu guardaespaldas?Do you want me to be your bodyguard?This sentence is a way to offer to act as someone's guardaespaldas.Tatoeba #5013049 by DarkHollow, translation #2090867 by CK
- Necesito contratar un guardaespaldas profesionalI need to hire a professional bodyguard.
- Ana necesita contratar un guardaespaldas para su próxima gira de conciertos.Ana needs to hire a bodyguard for her upcoming concert tour.
- En algunos clubes, los patovicas hacen las veces de guardaespaldas para los artistas.In some clubs, bouncers function as bodyguards for the artists.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about a famous singer.
- LucíaMira, ella siempre viaja con un guardaespaldas.Look, she always travels with a bodyguard.
- MateoEs normal, tiene demasiados fans.It's normal, she has too many fans.
- LucíaEl guardaespaldas parece muy serio.The bodyguard looks very serious.
- MateoSí, tiene que protegerla bien.Yes, he has to protect her well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bodyguard” translations and entries guardaespaldas, escolta, espaldero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escolta, espaldero, guardaespaldas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
