anciano
/anˈθjano/
The English phrase "elderly man" is anciano in Spanish.
To express the idea of an elderly man, you can use several terms depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. anciano is a way to refer to an elderly man, while hombre mayor also translates to "elderly man." varón de edad avanzada translates to "elderly male."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are different levels of politeness available. A common and polite way to refer to an elderly man in conversation is señor mayor. Conversely, viejo can be used to mean "old man" in informal settings, but be careful as it can also sound blunt or even disrespectful depending on your tone and the context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word anciano has a feminine form, anciana, which is used to refer to an elderly woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/anˈθjano/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling an elderly man abuelo is a common sign of respect, even if you are not actually related to him.
- The word anciano shares a root with the Latin word for 'before', as it originally described someone who existed 'before' others in time.
- In some dialects, calling a man viejo is actually a term of endearment between spouses, similar to calling a partner 'old man' or 'old lady' in English.
Examples in context
- El hombre mayor estaba sentado en el parque.The elderly man was sitting in the park.
- Por favor, déjenme ayudar a ese hombre mayor con sus bolsas.Please let me help that elderly man with his bags.
- El varón de edad avanzada estaba esperando en la parada de autobús.The elderly male was waiting at the bus stop.
- El anciano cruzó la calle despacio.The elderly person crossed the street slowly.
- Me encontré con un anciano muy amable en la tienda.I met a very kind old man at the store.
- Mi abuelo es un viejo muy divertido.My grandfather is a very funny old man.
- El anciano caminaba por el parque.The elderly man was walking through the park.
- El anciano camina por el parque.The elderly man walks through the park.
- Aquel anciano lee el periódico.That elderly man is reading the newspaper.
- Vimos a un anciano en la biblioteca.We saw an elderly man in the library.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are walking in a neighborhood.
- DanielMira a ese anciano sentado allí.Look at that elderly man sitting there.
- ElenaEs un anciano muy amable.He is a very kind elderly man.
- Daniel¿Quieres saludar al anciano, Elena?Do you want to say hello to the elderly man, Elena?
- ElenaNo, Daniel, es mejor no molestarlo.No, Daniel, it is better not to bother him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry anciano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anciano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
