tierno
/ˈtjeɾno/
The English word 'tender' translates to Spanish as tierno.
tierno is an adjective used to describe something soft and easily chewed. Additionally, unlike English which often distinguishes between the two, tierno can be used to mean both 'tender' in texture or emotion and 'young' in terms of age or stage of development.
Meaning: soft and easily chewed (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, tierno must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the feminine form tierna for feminine nouns, and use the plural forms tiernos for masculine plural or tiernas for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtjeɾno/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, if you call a person tierno, you might actually be calling them 'childish' or 'naive' rather than just 'sweet'.
- The Spanish word tierno is a distant cousin to the English 'tender', as both evolved from the Latin 'tenerum'.
- While tierno means 'tender', the word ternura is used as a noun to describe the specific feeling of sweetness or affection one feels when seeing a baby or a puppy.
Examples in context
- El pavo estaba tierno y jugoso.The turkey was tender and juicy.This sentence shows how to use tierno to describe the texture of food.Tatoeba #2033095 by Shishir, translation #2032999 by Spamster
- Tom le dio un beso tierno a Mary.Tom gave Mary a tender kiss.This sentence demonstrates using tierno to describe a tender kiss.Tatoeba #1783065 by hayastan, translation #1028888 by CK
- Nada me resulta tan tierno como una pareja vieja caminando por la calle mano en mano.Nothing seems so tender to me as an old couple walking down the street holding hands.This sentence illustrates using tierno to describe a tender sight.Tatoeba #719940 by darinmex, translation #719939 by darinmex
- Su gesto tierno demostró su amor incondicional.His tender gesture showed his unconditional love.
- Me encanta su mirada cariñosa.I love their tender gaze.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are having dinner at a restaurant.
- Lucía¿Te gusta cómo quedó el cordero?Do you like how the lamb turned out?
- DanielSí, el cordero está muy tierno.Yes, the lamb is very tender.
- LucíaMe alegra que Daniel disfrute la cena.I'm glad that Daniel is enjoying dinner.
- DanielEstá increíble, muchas gracias por la recomendación.It's incredible, thank you very much for the recommendation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tender” translations and entries tierno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tierno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
