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How to Say "guest" in Spanish

English → Spanish

invitado

een-vee-TAH-dohimbiˈtaðo

nounA1general
Use 'invitado' when referring to someone who has been formally invited to an event, party, or gathering.
A smiling person holding a wrapped gift, standing in a doorway ready to enter a celebration, symbolizing a guest.

Examples

Cada invitado recibió un pequeño recuerdo de la fiesta.

Every guest received a small souvenir from the party.

El invitado de honor dio un discurso al inicio de la ceremonia.

The guest of honor gave a speech at the start of the ceremony.

Gender Agreement for People

Since 'invitado' refers to a person, its ending must match the gender: 'el invitado' (male guest) vs. 'la invitada' (female guest).

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “Using 'invitado' as the verb form instead of 'invitar'.”

Correction: 'Invitado' is the person (the guest). The action of asking someone to come is 'invitar' (to invite).

huésped

WES-pedˈwespeð

nounA2general
Use 'huésped' for someone staying overnight in your home or in a hotel.
A young child visitor holding a small wrapped present stands in a brightly lit, cozy living room, welcomed by an adult figure.

Examples

¿Cuántos huéspedes se alojan en tu casa este fin de semana?

How many guests are staying at your house this weekend?

La huésped de la habitación 305 dejó las llaves en recepción.

The guest in room 305 left the keys at reception.

Todos los huéspedes deben firmar el registro al llegar.

All guests must sign the register upon arrival.

Common Gender Noun

Even though 'huésped' ends in 'd' (which usually suggests masculine), it can refer to a man or a woman. You change the article to match the person's sex: 'el huésped' (male) or 'la huésped' (female).

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Using 'una huéspeda' for a female guest.”

Correction: The word itself doesn't change form. Always use 'la huésped' for a woman.

visitante

bee-see-tahn-tehbi.si.ˈtan.te

nounA2general
Use 'visitante' for someone who is visiting a place, like a tourist at a museum or a city.
A friendly person with a backpack standing at a front door being greeted by a host.

Examples

El museo recibe a miles de visitantes cada día.

The museum receives thousands of visitors every day.

Soy solo una visitante en esta ciudad.

I am just a visitor in this city.

El equipo visitante anotó un gol en el último minuto.

The away team scored a goal in the last minute.

One word for both genders

This word is 'gender neutral.' It doesn't change its ending. To show if you are talking about a man or a woman, just change the word 'the' or 'a' before it: 'el visitante' (male) or 'la visitante' (female).

Sports context

In sports, 'el visitante' refers to the team that is playing away from their home stadium.

Don't change the ending

Mistake: “La visitanta.”

Correction: La visitante. Words ending in -ante usually stay the same regardless of gender.

visita

bee-SEE-tahbiˈsi.ta

nounA2general
Use 'visita' to refer to someone who is visiting your home, often in a more informal or general sense than 'huésped'. It can also refer to the act of visiting.
A storybook illustration showing a smiling person sitting comfortably on a living room sofa, accepting a cup of tea offered by the host standing nearby.

Examples

¡Tenemos visita! Pasa la visita a la sala, por favor.

We have guests! Please take the guests into the living room.

Ella es mi visita de hoy.

She is my visitor today.

Fixed Gender

Even if the guest is male, the word 'visita' remains feminine ('la visita'). You can say 'El señor es mi visita' (The man is my guest).

Guest vs. Visitor vs. Invited Person

The most common confusion is between 'invitado' and 'huésped'. Remember, 'invitado' is for someone invited to an event, while 'huésped' is for someone staying overnight. 'Visitante' is broader, referring to anyone visiting a place, not necessarily a home.

Related Translations

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