mayordomo
/maʝoɾˈdomo/masculine
The Spanish word for butler is mayordomo.
mayordomo refers to a chief male servant. In many Spanish-speaking contexts, it can also refer to a steward or a person in charge of managing an estate or a large household's resources.
Meaning: chief male servant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mayordomo is mayordomos. The feminine form is mayordoma, which is used to refer to a female butler or housekeeper.
How do you pronounce it?
/maʝoɾˈdomo/
Did you know?
- In the context of Spanish religious festivals, a mayordomo is often a person chosen to fund and organize the festivities for a local saint.
- The word mayordomo shares its DNA with the English word 'major' and the word 'dominion', both tracing back to the same Latin roots of 'greater' and 'house'.
- While it can mean a butler, in modern way of speaking, calling someone a mayordomo can be used as a sarcastic way to call them a 'servant' or a 'lackey'.
Examples in context
- Le pedí al mayordomo que nos sirviese un café.I asked the butler to serve us some coffee.This sentence shows how to use mayordomo when asking someone to serve coffee.Tatoeba #1063051 by Shishir, translation #10615792 by sangelo
- El mayordomo anunció al Sr. y a la Sra. Smith.The butler announced Mr. and Mrs. Smith.This sentence demonstrates the use of mayordomo when announcing guests.Tatoeba #1714554 by teskmon, translation #245494 by CN
- El mayordomo de Mary haría cualquier cosa por ella.Mary's butler would do anything for her.This sentence illustrates a possessive context using mayordomo.Tatoeba #7967945 by Seael, translation #12258327 by Miktsoanit
- Por favor, llame al mayordomo y dígale que prepare el salón para la recepción de invitados.Please call the butler and ask him to prepare the hall for the guest reception.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are visiting a historic mansion.
- DanielMira, el mayordomo nos está esperando.Look, the butler is waiting for us.
- MaríaEs muy elegante su uniforme.His uniform is very elegant.
- DanielSí, el mayordomo conoce toda la casa.Yes, the butler knows the whole house.
- MaríaVamos a preguntarle por el jardín.Let's ask him about the garden.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butler” translations and entries mayordomo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mayordomo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
