abuela política
/aˌbwela poˈlitika/
The Spanish phrase for "grandma in law" is abuela política.
Abuela política is used to refer to the grandmother of one's spouse.
What does it mean word for word?
In this context, política does not refer to government or elections, but is used in a legal or relational sense to mean "by marriage."
Which one should you use?
While abuela política is the precise term for a grandmother-in-law, many Spanish speakers will simply use abuela to refer to their spouse's grandmother in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective política must agree in gender with the noun abuela.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˌbwela poˈlitika/
Did you know?
- The word política comes from the Greek word 'polis' meaning 'city'. In this phrase, it describes a relationship created by a civil contract rather than by blood.
- Spanish uses the same adjective política to describe every relative gained through marriage, from a 'mother-in-law' madre política to a 'sister-in-law' hermana política.
- In many Spanish-speaking households, if you use the full term abuela política to her face, you might actually sound distant or even cold.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, abuela política! ¿Cómo estás hoy? Espero que tengas un día maravillosoHello, grandmother-in-law! How are you today? I hope you have a wonderful day.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about their upcoming family dinner.
- JavierLucía, ¿viene tu abuela política a cenar?Lucía, is your grandma-in-law coming to dinner?
- LucíaSí, mi abuela política llega mañana.Yes, my grandma-in-law arrives tomorrow.
- Javier¡Qué bien! Me cae muy bien ella.That's great! I like her a lot.
- LucíaA ella también le gustas tú, Javier.She likes you too, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry abuela política, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
