tu novia
/tu nobja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'your girlfriend' is said as tu novia.
The phrase refers to a female partner in a romantic relationship.
Which one should you use?
While tu novia is the standard way to say 'your girlfriend', you should use su novia when addressing a boss, an elder or someone you wish to treat with respect.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not add an accent to the word tu. English speakers often mistakenly write tú novia, but tú means 'you' (a subject pronoun), whereas tu means 'your' (a possessive adjective).
Did you know?
- The Latin ancestor of novia is the same root found in the English word 'novel', as both refer to something being 'new'.
- The word novia is used for both 'girlfriend' and 'bride', meaning a single word covers two very different stages of commitment.
- While novia refers to a romantic partner, the word noviazgo describes the specific stage of 'courtship' or the period of being boyfriend and girlfriend.
Examples in context
- No soy tu novia.I'm not your girlfriend.This sentence shows how to use tu novia to deny a relationship.Tatoeba #1937267 by marcelostockle, translation #1935173 by Spamster
- Layla no es tu novia.Layla is not your girlfriend.This sentence uses tu novia to state that a specific person is not someone's girlfriend.Tatoeba #13725944 by Seael, translation #7135020 by OsoHombre
- ¿Quién es ella? ¿Tu novia?Who's she? Your girlfriend?This sentence uses tu novia as a question to identify someone's partner.Tatoeba #1089960 by Shishir, translation #9194648 by DJ_Saidez
- Ella es tu novia.She is your girlfriend.
- ¿Cómo está tu chica?How is your girl?
- Esa es tu enamorada, ¿verdad?That's your girlfriend, right?
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking at a coffee shop.
- María¿Es ella tu novia?Is she your girlfriend?
- MateoSí, es mi novia, Sofía.Yes, she is my girlfriend, Sofia.
- MaríaTu novia es muy simpática.Your girlfriend is very nice.
- MateoMuchas gracias, María.Thank you very much, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries novia, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
