cuate
Mexico, informal
In Mexico a twin is cuate in everyday speech, and gemelo or gemela in standard Spanish. The female forms are cuata and gemela. Mexicans also use cuate to mean a close friend.
Meaning: one of two children born together (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| cuate | Mexico, informal |
| gemelo | general, male |
| gemela | general, female |
Use gemelo and gemela in writing, at the doctor and with strangers. Use cuates with family and friends, as in Somos cuates.
Which one should you use?
Outside Mexico cuate is not the usual word for twin, so people from other countries may not know it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural is cuates and gemelos. For a mixed pair Spanish says gemelos, or mellizos in some countries.
Did you know?
- Cuate comes from the Nahuatl word coatl, and in Mexico it kept both the meaning of twin and of buddy.
Examples in context
- Mi hermano y yo somos gemelos.My brother and I are twins.
- Ellos son cuates, nacieron el mismo día.They are twins, they were born on the same day.
- Tengo una gemela.I have a twin sister.
Example conversation
Daniel meets Sofía at a party and sees her sister across the room.
- Daniel¿Esa chica se parece a ti?Does that girl look like you?
- SofíaEs mi gemela, se llama Paola.She is my twin, her name is Paola.
- DanielNunca había visto cuates tan parecidos.I had never seen twins so alike.
- SofíaTodos se confunden.Everybody gets us confused.
