tienes novia
/tjenes nobja/from spelling rulesinformal
The English phrase "do you have a girlfriend" is translated into Spanish as tienes novia.
Meaning: do you have a girlfriend? (phrase)
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, nouns for romantic partners are gendered. While novia refers to a female girlfriend, novio is used to refer to a male boyfriend.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form tienes novia is informal. If you are in a formal context or speaking to someone you do not know well, you should use the formal version ¿Tiene usted novia? instead. Alternatively, if you wish to be formal and more neutral regarding the gender of the partner, you can ask ¿Tiene pareja?, which means "Do you have a partner?"
How do you pronounce it?
/tjenes nobja/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, calling a woman novia might sound like you are referring to a bride, as the word is also used for a woman getting married.
- The word novia shares a common ancestor with the English word 'new', as both derive from the Latin root for 'new'.
- In certain Latin American regions, the word novia can feel quite serious, and people might prefer the term polola in Chile or morra in specific Mexican contexts.
Examples in context
- ¿Tienes novia allá en casa?Do you have a girlfriend back home?The first sentence is useful for asking if someone has a girlfriend back home using tienes novia.Tatoeba #4570986 by cueyayotl, translation #4570978 by Hybrid
- ¿Tienes novia?Do you have a girlfriend?The second sentence is a simple way to ask if someone has a girlfriend using tienes novia.Tatoeba #1125078 by Shishir, translation #1096514 by CK
- Hola, señor García. ¿Tiene usted novia?Hello, Mr. Garcia. Do you have a girlfriend?
- Sí, tengo una novia. Su nombre es Ana.Yes, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Ana.
- No, actualmente no tengo pareja.No, currently I do not have a partner.
- Oye, ¿tienes novia?Hey, do you have a girlfriend?
- No, en este momento estoy soltero.No, at this moment I am single.
- Chico, ¿tienes polola?Boy, do you have a girlfriend?
- ¿Tienes novia ahora?Do you have a girlfriend now?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are chatting at a party.
- MateoOye, tengo una pregunta. ¿Tienes novia?Hey, I have a question. Do you have a girlfriend?
- LucíaNo, no tengo novia ahora mismo.No, I don't have a girlfriend right now.
- MateoAh, entiendo. Pues me caes muy bien.Ah, I see. Well, I really like you.
- LucíaGracias, Mateo. Tú también me caes bien.Thanks, Mateo. I like you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “do you have a girlfriend” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries novia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
