Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nene | /ˈnene/ | masculine |
| infante | /inˈfante/ | masculine |
In Spanish, nene is a casual term used to refer to a baby boy. If you want to refer to an infant generally, Bebé is a common term. If you want to be affectionate, you can use Chiquitín.
Which one should you use?
While infante is a formal or technical term, nene is the common, colloquial way to refer to a baby or young child in many Spanish-speaking regions. Note that in a historical or royal context, infante refers specifically to a prince of the Spanish royal house, whereas nene is strictly used for a young child.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term nene is colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Canary Islands and some parts of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Guagua is primarily used to refer to an infant. In Mexico and some Central American countries, Chamaco or Chamaquito is more commonly used to refer to a baby or small child.
How does it change in a sentence?
The colloquial term nene changes its ending to nena to refer to a female infant.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnene/
Did you know?
- In many Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico and Cuba, the word guagua can mean an infant, but it is also the common word for a 'bus' in the Canary Islands.
- In Mexico and Central America, you will often hear chamaco used for a child. This term is derived from the indigenous Nahuatl language rather than Latin.
- The Spanish word niño, which is related to nene, is the root of the English word 'ninny', which describes a foolish person.
Examples in context
- El bebé es muy pequeñoThe infant is very small
- Mi hermano es un chiquitín adorableMy brother is an adorable little baby
- ¡Mira qué lindo es ese nene!Look at how cute that baby boy is!
- El nene está durmiendo ahora.The baby is sleeping now.
- Ese nene es muy tranquilo.That baby is very calm.
- ¿Viste al nene de la vecina?Did you see the neighbor's baby?
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are visiting a friend's house.
- Mateo¡Qué tierno es el nene!What a sweet baby!
- SofíaSí, es muy tranquilo.Yes, he is very calm.
- Mateo¿Cuántos meses tiene el nene?How many months old is the baby?
- SofíaTiene solo tres meses.He is only three months old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “infant” translations and entries nene, infante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
