Inklingo

How to Say "grown-up" in Spanish

English → Spanish

adulto

/ah-DOOL-toh//aˈðul.to/

nounA1
Use 'adulto' when referring to a person who has reached maturity and is legally considered an adult.
A simple illustration of a tall, grown-up person standing confidently. They are wearing casual, simple adult attire.

Examples

Necesitas ser un adulto para firmar este contrato.

You need to be an adult to sign this contract.

La entrada para los adultos cuesta diez euros.

The ticket for the adults costs ten euros.

Cuando era niño, pensaba que ser adulto era fácil.

When I was a child, I thought being a grown-up was easy.

Este programa tiene contenido adulto, no es para niños.

This program has adult content; it is not for children.

Gender Matching for Nouns

Remember that 'adulto' is masculine, used for men or when talking about a group that includes both men and women. If you are specifically talking about a woman, you must use 'adulta'.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'adulto' must change its ending to match the thing it describes in number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine). For example: 'temas adultos' (adult topics, plural masculine) or 'actitud adulta' (adult attitude, singular feminine).

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “Using 'adulto' to describe a feminine noun without changing the ending (e.g., 'una mujer adulto').”

Correction: The adjective must match the noun: 'una mujer adulta' (a grown-up woman).

adulto

adjectiveA2
Use 'adulto' as an adjective to describe content or themes that are intended for mature audiences and not suitable for children.

Examples

Este programa tiene contenido adulto, no es para niños.

This program has adult content; it is not for children.

grande

/GRAHN-deh//ˈɡɾande/

adjectiveB1informal
Use 'grande' when talking about the aspiration to be grown-up in the future, often used in the context of childhood dreams.
A small child wearing an oversized white doctor's coat that is too big, standing next to a fully grown adult in a neat matching doctor's coat, illustrating the concept of being grown-up.

Examples

Cuando sea grande, quiero ser médico.

When I'm grown-up, I want to be a doctor.

Mi hermano grande vive en otra ciudad.

My older brother lives in another city.

Ya eres grande para creer en fantasmas.

You're too old/grown-up to believe in ghosts.

Adulto vs. Grande for 'grown-up'

Learners often confuse 'adulto' and 'grande' when expressing the idea of being grown-up. Remember that 'adulto' refers to the current state of being an adult or adult-themed content, while 'grande' is used for future aspirations of becoming an adult, typically by children.

Related Translations

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