How to Say "orphan" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “orphan” is “huérfano” — B1 level.
Examples
El niño se quedó huérfano tras el accidente.
The boy became an orphan after the accident.
La novela cuenta la historia de un huérfano en Londres.
The novel tells the story of an orphan in London.
Muchos huérfanos de la guerra fueron acogidos por familias locales.
Many war orphans were taken in by local families.
Using 'quedar' for status
To say someone 'became' an orphan, Spanish uses 'quedarse huérfano' (to end up orphaned) rather than just 'ser'.
Gender changes
While this entry focuses on the male form 'huérfano', remember that for a girl, the word changes its ending to 'huérfana'.
The Missing Accent
Mistake: “huerfano”
Correction: huérfano. Always include the accent on the 'é' to show where the voice should be loudest.
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