matriarca
/maˈtɾjaɾka/feminine
The English word matriarch is translated into Spanish as matriarca.
A matriarca is a female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.
Meaning: a female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, add -s to the end of the word to get matriarcas.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈtɾjaɾka/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the matriarca is often the grandmother who manages the family's finances and emotional secrets, even if the father is officially the head of the house.
- The suffix '-arca' in matriarca is shared with the English word 'monarch', as both derive from the Greek 'arkhein', meaning 'to rule'.
- While matriarca is the direct translation, using it to describe a woman in a casual setting can sound overly academic or even political.
Examples in context
- La abuela es la matriarca de nuestra familia. Nos guía con amor y sabiduría.The grandmother is the matriarch of our family. She guides us with love and wisdom.
- Ella es la matriarca de la familia.She is the matriarch of the family.
- La matriarca tomó una decisión importante.The matriarch made an important decision.
- Respetamos mucho a la matriarca de la tribu.We respect the matriarch of the tribe very much.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing their grandmother's influence on the family.
- ElenaMi abuela es la matriarca de esta familia.My grandmother is the matriarch of this family.
- MateoEs cierto, ella siempre nos guía.It's true, she always guides us.
- ElenaSin la matriarca, estaríamos perdidos.Without the matriarch, we would be lost.
- MateoElla es el pilar de todos nosotros.She is the pillar for all of us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “matriarch” translations and entries matriarca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matriarca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
