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hermano

er-MAH-noeɾˈmano

brother

Also: sibling
NounmA1
Two happy young boys smiling and holding hands in a sunny field.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano se llama Carlos.

A1

My brother's name is Carlos.

Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.

A1

I have two brothers and one sister.

En total, somos cuatro hermanos en mi familia.

A2

In total, we are four siblings in my family.

Word Connections

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hermano mayor – older brother
  • hermano menor – younger brother
  • medio hermano – half-brother
  • hermanastro – stepbrother

Idioms & Expressions

  • llevarse como el perro y el gato – To fight all the time or not get along (often used to describe siblings).

brother

Also: bro / dude, fellow man / fellow member
NounmB2formal
Latin America
A man wearing a simple brown hooded robe standing near an old stone monastery wall.

📝 In Action

El hermano José dedicó su vida a ayudar a los pobres.

B2

Brother José dedicated his life to helping the poor.

En la fraternidad, todos se tratan como hermanos.

B2

In the fraternity, everyone treats each other like brothers.

¡Oye, hermano! ¿Cómo has estado?

B1

Hey, bro! How have you been?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • hermano de sangre – blood brother
  • hermano de armas – brother in arms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "hermano" in Spanish:

brother→sibling→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: hermano

Question 1 of 1

If someone says, 'Tengo tres hermanos,' what is definitely TRUE?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
hermana(sister) — Noun
hermandad(brotherhood, sisterhood, fraternity) — Noun
hermanar(to link, to unite, to twin) — Verb
hermanastro(stepbrother) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'germānus', which meant 'full brother' or 'of the same stock'. It was a way to distinguish a full sibling from other relatives.

First recorded: Around the 10th century.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: irmãoGalician: irmánCatalan: germà

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'hermano', 'medio hermano', and 'hermanastro'?

Great question! 'Hermano' is your full brother (same mother and father). 'Medio hermano' is your half-brother (you share one parent). 'Hermanastro' is your stepbrother (you are related by the marriage of your parents, but share no biological parents).

How do I say 'I don't have any siblings'?

The easiest way is to say 'No tengo hermanos.' Because 'hermanos' covers both brothers and sisters in this context, this one phrase works perfectly.