Inklingo

How to Say "guests" in Spanish

English → Spanish

invitados

een-vee-TAH-dohs/imbiˈtaðos/

nounA1general
Use 'invitados' when referring to people who have been formally invited to an event like a party, wedding, or meeting.
Four smiling people standing together near a decorated doorway, one holding a wrapped gift, representing guests arriving at an event.

Examples

Los invitados llegaron tarde a la fiesta.

The guests arrived late to the party.

Necesitamos contar cuántos invitados tendremos para la cena.

We need to count how many guests we will have for dinner.

Gender Rule for Groups

When referring to a group that includes both men and women, Spanish defaults to the masculine plural form, 'invitados'.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Using 'invitadas' (feminine) for a mixed-gender group.”

Correction: Use 'invitadas' only when the group is exclusively female. For mixed groups, use 'invitados'.

huéspedes

nounA2general
Use 'huéspedes' primarily for people staying overnight in a hotel, or less commonly, for people staying in someone's home for an extended period.

Examples

Los huéspedes llegaron tarde al hotel.

The guests arrived late to the hotel.

visitas

/vee-SEE-tas//biˈsitas/

nounA1informal
Use 'visitas' to refer to people who are visiting your home, especially for a shorter duration or as casual callers.
A colorful storybook illustration showing two distinct people arriving at the front door of a welcoming house, one person slightly behind the other, illustrating multiple acts of arrival.

Examples

Mis padres son visitas importantes para mí.

My parents are important guests for me.

Las visitas al museo son gratuitas los domingos.

Visits to the museum are free on Sundays.

Tenemos visitas en casa, así que la nevera está llena.

We have visitors at home, so the fridge is full.

Necesito cancelar todas mis visitas de la tarde.

I need to cancel all my afternoon appointments/visits.

Plural Form

This word is the plural form of 'visita' (a visit or a visitor), which is always feminine.

Confusing Noun and Verb

Mistake: “Using 'visitas' (noun) when the verb 'tú visitas' is needed.”

Correction: Ensure you know if you are talking about the people/action (noun) or what 'you' are doing (verb).

visitantes

/bee-see-TAHN-tehs//bisiˈtantes/

nounA2general
Use 'visitantes' for people who are visiting a place, such as a tourist attraction, a museum, or a city.
A group of three stylized people, carrying small bags, walking along a path toward the welcoming, open doorway of a brightly colored building, illustrating people arriving as visitors.

Examples

El parque nacional limita el número de visitantes por día.

The national park limits the number of visitors per day.

Los visitantes extranjeros trajeron regalos típicos de su país.

The foreign guests brought typical gifts from their country.

Hay que revisar las credenciales de todos los visitantes.

We must check the credentials of all the visitors.

The Plural Form

'Visitantes' is simply the plural form of the singular noun 'visitante' (visitor). Like many words ending in '-e' in Spanish, you just add an 's' to make it plural.

Gender Flexibility

The singular 'visitante' works for both male and female visitors. In the plural, you use 'los visitantes' for a group of men or a mixed group, and 'las visitantes' only if the group is entirely female.

Confusing Singular and Plural

Mistake: “Unos visitante llegaron tarde. (Using the singular noun with a plural article.)”

Correction: Unos visitantes llegaron tarde. (Ensure both the article and the noun are plural.)

Invitados vs. Huéspedes

The most common confusion is between 'invitados' and 'huéspedes'. Remember 'invitados' are people invited to an event, while 'huéspedes' are typically those staying overnight, especially in accommodation like hotels.

Related Translations

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