sobrino
/soˈbɾino/masculine
The Spanish word for nephew is sobrino.
sobrino refers to a fraternal or sororal nephew.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use the masculine form sobrino for a male nephew and the feminine form sobrina for a female niece.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, sobri is a slang expression used informally to refer to a nephew or niece.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form is sobrina, which refers to a niece. The masculine plural form sobrinos is used to refer to a group of nephews or a mixed-gender group of nephews and nieces.
How do you pronounce it?
/soˈbɾino/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, an older person might call a much younger person sobrino as a term of endearment, even if there is no biological relation.
- The word sobrino actually comes from a Latin word meaning 'maternal cousin' rather than a direct descendant of 'nephew'.
- Spanish has no single word for 'nibling', the gender-neutral term for a nephew or niece used in some English dialects.
Examples in context
- Tom es mi sobrino.Tom is my nephew.This sentence shows how to identify someone as your sobrino.Tatoeba #2382892 by hayastan, translation #2273312 by CK
- Yanni habló con su sobrino.Yanni talked to his nephew.This sentence demonstrates using sobrino in the context of someone talking to their nephew.Tatoeba #10024860 by manufrutos, translation #10023781 by Amastan
- Tú eres mi sobrino favorito.You're my favorite nephew.This sentence shows the use of sobrino when expressing affection for a nephew.Tatoeba #11835766 by Seael, translation #10504435 by CK
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are looking at a family photo.
- DanielMira, este es mi sobrino.Look, this is my nephew.
- Lucía¿Cuántos años tiene tu sobrino?How old is your nephew?
- DanielTiene cinco años.He is five years old.
- LucíaEs muy lindo.He is very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nephew” translations and entries sobrino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sobrino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
