hombre
/ˈombɾe/masculine
The English word 'man' is translated into Spanish as hombre. Wiktionary also lists varón.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hombre | /ˈombɾe/ | masculine |
| varón | /baˈɾon/ | masculine |
The primary way to refer to an adult male human is hombre. This is the most standard and neutral term in the language. If you are referring specifically to biological sex or the male gender, particularly in medical, legal or biological contexts, the term varón is used.
Which one should you use?
While hombre is used for general descriptions of a man, varón is a more technical term that focuses on the biological sex of the individual.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈombɾe/
Did you know?
- The word hombre comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'earthling'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, hombre is used as an interjection similar to 'man!' or 'come on!' regardless of who is being spoken to.
- In some regions, calling someone hombrecito 'little man' is used ironically to describe a man who is acting immaturely.
Examples in context
- Veo a un hombre.I see a man.This sentence is useful for practicing the word hombre.Tatoeba #2195237 by marcelostockle, translation #4573426 by imjcooper
- Tom es un hombre.Tom is a man.Tatoeba #2463921 by marcelostockle, translation #2442285 by danepo
- Ya soy un hombre.I'm a man now.Tatoeba #9855752 by Shishir, translation #3737009 by CK
- El hombre que conocí en la conferencia era muy amable.The man I met at the conference was very kind.
- Se busca un varón de aproximadamente 40 años de edad.A man of approximately 40 years old is wanted.
- ¡Hola, chico! ¿Cómo estás?Hey, dude! How are you?
- Ese tipo siempre llega tarde a todas partes.That guy always arrives late everywhere.
- ¿Qué pasa, hombre? ¡Vamos a salir esta noche!What's up, man? Let's go out tonight!
- Oye, tío, ¿vienes a la fiesta esta noche?Hey, dude, are you coming to the party tonight?
- 1429 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are looking for a specific person in a crowd.
- JavierMira, ese hombre es mi hermano.Look, that man is my brother.
- Elena¿El hombre con la camisa azul?The man with the blue shirt?
- JavierSí, es él.Yes, it is him.
- ElenaAhora lo veo, ¡qué alegría!Now I see him, how wonderful!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries hombre, varón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hombre, varón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
