tío
/ˈtio/masculine
The English word 'uncle' is translated into Spanish as tío.
tío is the most common term for uncle. You can be more specific if needed: tío paterno or tío por parte de padre specifies that you are referring to an uncle from your father's side. In certain Spanish slang contexts, tío is also used as a synonym for 'friend' or 'buddy'.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Spain, tío is commonly used as a colloquial term for 'guy' or 'dude' when addressing a friend. Using tío [Name] is an informal way to address your actual uncle by combining the title with his name or nickname.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, tío abuelo is used to refer to your great-uncle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of tío is tía. The masculine plural form tíos refers to a group of uncles or a mixed group of uncles and aunts.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtio/.
Did you know?
- In many Latin American cultures, children often call older men tío as a sign of respect and affection, even if there is no blood relation.
- The word tío is a direct descendant of the Ancient Greek word theîos, which also meant 'uncle'.
- While tío means 'uncle' and 'dude' in Spain, in some Latin American countries it is used as a slang term for a 'strange' or 'eccentric' person.
Examples in context
- Él es mi tío.He is my uncle.Tatoeba #1249591 by Shishir, translation #297898 by CK
- Voy a ser tío.I'm going to be an uncle.Tatoeba #3010082 by marcelostockle, translation #2545411 by CK
- Vivo con mi tío.I am living with my uncle.Tatoeba #867054 by ildefonk, translation #258533 by CC
- Mi tío abuelo Ricardo es muy divertido.My great-uncle Ricardo is very funny.
- 221 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are looking at old family photos.
- Javier¿Quién es el hombre de la foto?Who is the man in the photo?
- LucíaÉl es mi tío favorito.He is my favorite uncle.
- JavierParece muy simpático.He looks very nice.
- LucíaSí, mi tío es muy divertido.Yes, my uncle is very funny.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries tío, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tío, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
