Inklingo

How to Say "mistress" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “mistress” is “querida” — use 'querida' when referring to a woman who is in a romantic relationship with someone, often a married man, and is considered their lover or mistress.

English → Spanish
nounB1general
Use 'querida' when referring to a woman who is in a romantic relationship with someone, often a married man, and is considered their lover or mistress.

Examples

La película trata de un hombre que tiene una querida.

The movie is about a man who has a mistress.

ama

AH-mahˈa.ma

nounB1general
Use 'ama' primarily to refer to the female head or owner of a household, often in the context of managing the home or servants, like a housewife.
A high quality storybook illustration of a woman standing confidently in the center of a simple, tidy living room, holding a large, ornate key in her hand.

Examples

Mi madre es ama de casa y cuida de nosotros.

My mother is a housewife and takes care of us.

La joven trabajó como ama de llaves en la mansión.

The young woman worked as a housekeeper in the mansion.

Compound Nouns

'Ama' is most frequently seen today as the first part of a fixed phrase describing a specific job related to running a household or overseeing keys/children.

amante

ah-MAHN-tehaˈman.te

nounC1general
Use 'amante' for a female lover, specifically in a romantic or sexual relationship, which can also imply a mistress.
Two figures holding hands and leaning close together, illustrating a romantic partner or lover.

Examples

La novela cuenta la historia de un hombre y su amante secreta.

The novel tells the story of a man and his secret lover/mistress.

Su amante le regaló un collar muy caro.

His lover gave him a very expensive necklace.

The Same Word for Both

Remember, 'amante' is used for both men and women. You use 'el amante' when talking about a man, and 'la amante' when talking about a woman.

dueña

nounB2formal/historical
Use 'dueña' when referring to a female owner or proprietor of something, or historically, the lady of a house or estate.

Examples

Ella se siente dueña de su destino y toma todas las decisiones.

She feels mistress of her destiny and makes all the decisions.

madame

mah-DAHM-ehmaˈðame

nounB2informal/specific
Use 'madame' specifically for the female head or manager of a brothel or house of ill repute.
A stern, well-dressed woman in a purple dress and gold jewelry, holding a large antique key while standing confidently in front of a heavy, closed red velvet curtain.

Examples

La madame del local fue arrestada por la policía.

The madam of the establishment was arrested by the police.

Todos le temían a la madame, era una mujer de carácter fuerte.

Everyone was afraid of the madam; she was a woman with a strong character.

Gender and Articles

Even though 'madame' is borrowed from French, in Spanish it is treated as a feminine noun and always uses the feminine article 'la'.

Pronunciation

Mistake: “Pronouncing it the French way ('mah-DAM').”

Correction: Spanish speakers usually pronounce all the letters, including the final 'e': 'mah-DAHM-eh'.

Confusing Lover vs. House Manager

The most common mistake is confusing 'querida' or 'amante' (lover) with 'ama' (house manager/housewife). Remember, 'ama' refers to the person running the household, not necessarily a romantic partner.

Related Translations

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