soltero
/solˈteɾo/
In Spanish, "never married" is translated as soltero.
The term soltero is used to describe someone who has never been married. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it serves as a legal and social status to indicate that a person is not currently married, regardless of whether they have been married in the past.
Which one should you use?
While soltero is the standard term for someone who has never married, it is also the common word for someone who is currently "single" (e.g., after a divorce or separation).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, the term solterón is used to describe an older unmarried male.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and number: use soltera when referring to a woman, solteros for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and solteras for a group of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/solˈteɾo/
Did you know?
- The word soltero may not just come from the idea of being 'lonely', but also from the Latin solutus, meaning 'unbound' or 'released'.
- Spanish has a distinct word, solitario, which is a 'doublet' of soltero. While both come from the same Latin root, solitario describes the feeling of loneliness rather than a legal status.
- In some contexts, the concept of being soltero is linked to the word suelto, which means 'loose' or 'unbound'. This frames the state of being unmarried as a form of freedom or being 'at large'.
Examples in context
- Una persona es un soltero si y solo si esa persona es un hombre en edad de casarse que nunca se ha casado.A person is a bachelor if and only if that person is a marriageable man who has never married.This sentence is useful for defining the concept of a bachelor using the word soltero.Tatoeba #1723584 by teskmon, translation #1477301 by eastasiastudent
- María tiene 40 años y sigue soltera.María is 40 years old and still unmarried.
- La señorita Marta está sin casar.Miss Marta is unmarried.
- Él es un hombre soltero.He is a single man.
- Mi hermano sigue soltero.My brother is still single.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their relationship statuses at a cafe.
- Alejandro¿Tu hermano es soltero?Is your brother single?
- MaríaSí, él es soltero todavía.Yes, he is still single.
- AlejandroEntiendo, ¿y tú?I see, and you?
- MaríaYo también soy soltera.I am single too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soltero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soltero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
