marido y mujer
/maɾido i muxeɾ/from spelling rulesmasculine, plural
The Spanish phrase for "husband and wife" is marido y mujer. Wiktionary also lists esposo y esposa.
Meaning: husband and wife (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| marido y mujer | /maɾido i muxeɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
| esposo y esposa | /esposo i esposa/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
The phrase refers to a married couple. You will often hear marido y mujer during wedding ceremonies.
Which one should you use?
marido y mujer is a common way to express the phrase, but esposo y esposa is often used in more formal or legal contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
marido is frequently used in Latin American Spanish.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɾido i muxeɾ/
When do people say it?
During a wedding ceremony, marido y mujer is the standard phrase used for the pronouncement "I now pronounce you husband and wife".
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the word esposa is a homonym that also means 'handcuffs'.
- The term esposo carries a linguistic 'flavor' of a sacred or legal bond, because its Latin ancestor spondeō specifically meant to vow or promise.
- If you call a woman mujer in a casual setting, you might accidentally call her 'woman' rather than 'wife', as the word functions as both a noun for gender and a noun for marital status.
Examples in context
- Tom y Mary son marido y mujer.Tom and Mary are husband and wife.This sentence is useful for showing how to identify a married couple using marido y mujer.Tatoeba #1797641 by hayastan, translation #1029905 by CK
- Ahora os declaro marido y mujer. Puede besar a la novia.I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.This sentence is useful for the specific wedding pronouncement using marido y mujer.Tatoeba #8018382 by Seael, translation #8018372 by OsoHombre
- Permítame presentarle a mi esposa, Ana.Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Ana.
- Mi marido es un gran cocinero.My husband is a great cook.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing their neighbors' relationship.
- SofíaMira qué felices se ven esos dos.Look how happy those two look.
- MateoSí, son un gran marido y mujer.Yes, they are a great husband and wife.
- Sofía¿Sabes cuánto tiempo llevan casados?Do you know how long they have been married?
- MateoCreo que llevan ya veinte años.I think they have been for twenty years now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband and wife” 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 esposa, esposo, marido, mujer, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
