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humilde

oo-MEEL-deh/uˈmil.de/

humble, modest

Also: unassuming
A child carefully sharing a small piece of cake with an elderly woman, looking down slightly with modesty.

📝 In Action

A pesar de su fama, el actor es muy humilde con sus fans.

A2

Despite his fame, the actor is very humble with his fans.

Ella siempre tiene una actitud humilde y escucha a los demás.

B1

She always has a modest attitude and listens to others.

Necesitas ser más humilde y reconocer tus errores.

B1

You need to be more humble and recognize your mistakes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ser humilde – to be humble
  • actitud humilde – humble attitude

simple, lowly

Also: poor
A small, unpainted wooden cottage with a single window and a simple stone path leading to the door, surrounded by green grass.

📝 In Action

A pesar de su origen humilde, llegó a ser presidente.

B1

Despite his humble origin, he became president.

Viven en una casa humilde, pero es muy acogedora.

B2

They live in a simple/modest house, but it is very cozy.

Pidió un trabajo humilde para empezar a ganar dinero.

C1

He asked for a lowly job to start earning money.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • origen humilde – humble origin
  • casa humilde – simple house

the humble person, the poor

Nounm/fC1formal
An elderly woman in plain clothes quietly tending to a small patch of colorful flowers in a simple backyard.

📝 In Action

El gobierno prometió ayudar a los más humildes de la sociedad.

C1

The government promised to help the most humble/poor people in society.

Es un honor recibir a un humilde como tú.

C1

It is an honor to receive a humble person like you.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • el pobre (the poor person)
  • el desfavorecido (the disadvantaged)

Antonyms

  • el rico (the rich person)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "humilde" in Spanish:

humble→lowly→modest→poor→simple→the poor→unassuming→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: humilde

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'humilde' to describe a person's character, not their economic status?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
humildad(humility (noun)) — Noun
humildemente(humbly (adverb)) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin word 'humilis,' which meant 'lowly' or 'from the ground' (related to 'humus,' meaning earth). This root explains both the meaning of modesty and the meaning of low social status.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: humbleItalian: umile

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'humilde' a positive word?

Yes, almost always. When applied to a person, it is highly positive, meaning they are modest, respectful, and not arrogant. When applied to an object or place, it means simple, unpretentious, or lacking luxury.

How do I make 'humilde' plural?

Since 'humilde' ends in a vowel followed by 'de', you just add '-s' to make it plural: 'humildes' (e.g., 'los niños humildes').