Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| amante | /aˈmante/ | |
| querida | /keˈɾida/ | feminine |
| barragana | /baraˈɡana/ | feminine |
| manceba | /manˈθeba/ /manˈseba/ |
feminine |
The term amante refers to a lover or mistress. While it can imply a scandalous extramarital relationship, it is also the standard word for a lover in a romantic or sexual context, regardless of whether the people involved are married.
Which one should you use?
amante is the standard term for a lover or mistress. querida specifically refers to a female lover. barragana and manceba are both archaic terms used for a mistress, typically found in historical or literary contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
amante is a formal and neutral term. querida is an informal term, but it is also a colloquial term of endearment meaning 'darling' or 'dear'. barragana and manceba are archaic and rarely used in modern conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, querida is a popular alternative for a female lover.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because amante can be used for any gender, you must use the feminine article la or una to specify that the mistress is female.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈmante/
Did you know?
- The word amante comes from the Latin amantem, combining the root for 'to love' with a suffix that denotes the person performing the action.
- The archaic term barragana was historically used to describe a woman in a long-term stable relationship without legal marriage.
- In Spanish literature, the word manceba historically referred to a young woman or a concubine before becoming a rarely used term for a mistress.
Examples in context
- ¡Ella es mi amante!She is my mistress!This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a mistress.Tatoeba #1214040 by marcelostockle, translation #1135945 by flipe
- Ella fue su amante casada.She was his married mistress.This sentence is useful for describing a married mistress.Tatoeba #5896425 by albrusgher, translation #4874243 by Amastan
- La mar es una áspera amante.The sea is a harsh mistress.This sentence uses the word for mistress in a metaphorical sense regarding the sea.Tatoeba #5886306 by albrusgher, translation #1386551 by Miktsoanit
- Él tiene una amante que vive en otra ciudad.He has a mistress who lives in another city.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are gossiping about a scandal in a cafe.
- ElenaÉl tiene una amante secreta.He has a secret mistress.
- Mateo¡No puedo creerlo, Elena!I can't believe it, Elena!
- ElenaEsa amante es muy joven.That mistress is very young.
- MateoEs un escándalo terrible.It is a terrible scandal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mistress” translations and entries amante, querida, barragana, manceba, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amante, querida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
