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An illustration showing an elderly person sitting down, smiling happily while two young children, a boy and a girl, hug them affectionately.

nietos

nee-EH-tohs

NounmA1
grandchildren?plural, collective group (both male and female)
Also:grandsons?plural, male-only group

📝 In Action

Mis abuelos tienen cinco nietos en total.

A1

My grandparents have five grandchildren in total.

Todos los nietos vinieron a la fiesta de Navidad.

A2

All the grandchildren came to the Christmas party.

Los nietos de mi vecina son muy educados.

B1

My neighbor's grandsons (or grandchildren) are very polite.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • abuelos (grandparents)

Common Collocations

  • cuidar a los nietos – to look after the grandchildren
  • jugar con los nietos – to play with the grandchildren

💡 Grammar Points

Masculine Plural Rule

Even if the group of grandchildren includes girls ('nietas') and boys ('nietos'), you use the masculine plural form 'los nietos' to talk about the entire group.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Plurals

Mistake: "Using 'las nietas' to mean 'the grandchildren' (when there are boys present)."

Correction: Use 'los nietos' for a mixed group. 'Las nietas' is only correct if the group is entirely female.

⭐ Usage Tips

Singular Forms

Remember the singular forms: 'nieto' (one grandson) and 'nieta' (one granddaughter).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: nietos

Question 1 of 2

If a couple has two grandsons and three granddaughters, how do you correctly refer to all five children together?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

nieto(grandson) - noun
nieta(granddaughter) - noun
abuelos(grandparents) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'nietos' mean 'grandsons' sometimes and 'grandchildren' other times?

This is because in Spanish, the masculine plural form ('nietos') serves two purposes: it refers to a group made up only of boys (grandsons), AND it refers to a mixed group of boys and girls (grandchildren). You figure out the exact meaning from the context.

How do you say 'grandparents'?

The word is 'abuelos'. Just like 'nietos', 'abuelos' can mean 'grandfathers' or the collective group of 'grandparents' (grandfather and grandmother).