huérfano
/ˈw̝eɾfano/masculine
The English word 'orphan' is translated into Spanish as huérfano. If unsure, use huérfano. It is also spelled huacho. Wiktionary also lists guacho.
Meaning: person whose (parent or) parents have died (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| huérfano | /ˈw̝eɾfano/ | masculine |
| huacho | /ˈw̝at͡ʃo/ | colloquial, masculine, alternative form |
| guacho | /ˈɡwat͡ʃo/ | masculine |
The term refers to a person whose parent or parents have died. Related terms that can mean 'deprived of parents' include expósito, guácharo and huérfano.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term huacho is a colloquial way to say orphan in certain Latin American regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you might use desamparado or niño desamparado to refer to an orphan.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun changes based on gender and number: huérfana is the feminine form, huérfanos is the masculine plural and huérfanas is the feminine plural. The word huacho is an alternative spelling of guacho.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈw̝eɾfano/
Did you know?
- The word guacho has a completely different origin than the Greek-rooted huérfano, as it comes from the Quechua word wakcha.
- In some regions, the term guacho can be used as a slang insult to describe someone who is 'bastard' or 'illegitimate', rather than just an orphan.
- The word guacho is sometimes used affectionately or playfully in certain dialects to refer to a mischievous child, regardless of whether they are actually an orphan.
Examples in context
- Tom es un huérfano.Tom is an orphan.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is a huérfano.Tatoeba #2217404 by marcelostockle, translation #1868229 by CK
- Él adoptó al huérfano.He adopted the orphan.This sentence is useful for describing how he adopted the huérfano.Tatoeba #1332235 by Shishir, translation #290768 by CK
- Él adoptó a un huérfano.He received an orphan.This sentence is useful for describing how he received a huérfano.Tatoeba #1393657 by marcelostockle, translation #890468 by Scott
- El niño fue llevado a un orfanato después de perder a sus padres.The child was taken to an orphanage after losing his parents.
- El orfanato se encarga de brindar ayuda y cuidado a los niños huérfanos.The orphanage provides assistance and care to orphaned children.
- Mi abuelo me contó la historia de cómo se crió como huérfano.My grandfather told me the story of how he was raised as an orphan.
- No puedes imaginar el dolor que siente un huérfano al perder a sus padres.You can't imagine the pain an orphan feels when losing their parents.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking about a character in a book.
- LucíaEl protagonista es huérfano desde pequeño.The protagonist has been an orphan since he was little.
- JavierNo sabía que Javier era huérfano.I didn't know that Javier was an orphan.
- LucíaSí, lo dice al principio del libro.Yes, it says so at the beginning of the book.
- JavierEs una historia muy triste.It is a very sad story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orphan” translations and entries huérfano, huacho, guacho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guacho, huérfano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
