abuelo
“abuelo” means “grandfather” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
grandfather
Also: granddad, grandpa
📝 In Action
Mi abuelo me enseñó a pescar.
A1My grandfather taught me how to fish.
El abuelo de mi amiga tiene noventa años.
A2My friend's grandfather is ninety years old.
En plural, 'abuelos' se usa para hablar de los abuelos en conjunto (abuelo y abuela).
A2In plural, 'abuelos' is used to talk about grandparents together (grandfather and grandmother).
old man
Also: old fellow, old geezer
📝 In Action
Un abuelo simpático me ayudó a cruzar la calle.
B1A nice old man helped me cross the street.
En el parque, siempre hay un grupo de abuelos jugando a las cartas.
B2In the park, there's always a group of old men playing cards.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "abuelo" in Spanish:
granddad→grandfather→grandpa→old fellow→old geezer→old man→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: abuelo
Question 1 of 1
If you want to talk about your grandmother and grandfather together, what is the correct Spanish word?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from a casual form of Latin, *aviolus*, which was a friendly, 'little' version of the Classical Latin word *avus*, also meaning 'grandfather'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'abuelo' and 'abuelito'?
'Abuelito' is a more affectionate and tender version of 'abuelo'. It's like saying 'grandpa' or 'grandpappy' instead of 'grandfather'. Children use it a lot, but adults also use it to show love and closeness.
How do I say 'great-grandfather'?
You add the prefix 'bis-', so it becomes 'bisabuelo'. For great-great-grandfather, you add 'tatara-', making it 'tatarabuelo'.