cariño
/kaˈɾiɲo/
In Spanish, the English phrase sweetie is translated as cariño.
Cariño is a term of endearment used to address someone you love or care about, such as romantic partners, children or close friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cariño literally means affection or care.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is popular to use tesoro, which translates to treasure, as a term of endearment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term cariño is grammatically masculine and remains the same regardless of whether you are addressing a man or a woman. For a more intimate way to address someone you are close to, you can use mi followed by a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈɾiɲo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you might hear a stranger or a shopkeeper call you cariño or corazón as a sign of friendly service.
- In some contexts, cariño can be used sarcastically to dismiss someone or sound condescending, similar to the English 'honey'.
- The origin of cariño is somewhat mysterious and may have roots in the Aragonese language rather than standard Castilian Spanish.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué pasa, cariño?What's wrong sweetie?This sentence shows how to ask what is wrong using cariño.Tatoeba #2460499 by Shishir, translation #1543975 by Spamster
- ¿Estás cansada, cariño?Are you tired, sweetie?This sentence shows how to ask if someone is tired using cariño.Tatoeba #3039407 by marcelostockle, translation #4872385 by derpapottamus
- Buenos días, cariñoGood morning, sweetie
- ¡Hola, cariño! ¿Cómo estás?Hello, sweetie! How are you?
- Te quiero mucho, amorI love you a lot, sweetie
- Hola, mi vidaHi, my love
- Buenos días, mi cieloGood morning, my sweetheart
- Vení, chiquitaCome here, sweetie
- Estás lindo, chiquitoYou look cute, sweetie
- Gracias, tesoroThank you, sweetie
- Hola, cariño, te extrañé mucho.Hello, sweetie, I missed you a lot.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking in their kitchen in the morning.
- Lucía¿Quieres café, cariño?Do you want coffee, sweetie?
- AlejandroSí, gracias, Lucía.Yes, thanks, Lucía.
- LucíaTe preparo un desayuno rico.I will prepare a delicious breakfast for you.
- AlejandroEres la mejor, de verdad.You are the best, truly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cariño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cariño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
