Inklingo

How to Say "proprietor" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dueño

nounA2general
Use 'dueño' when referring to the owner of a business, company, or any possession, as it is the most common and general term.

Examples

¿Quién es el dueño de este coche rojo?

Who is the owner of this red car?

propietario

pro-pyeh-TAHR-ee-oh/pɾopjetaˈɾjo/

nounA2formal
Use 'propietario' when referring to the owner of a business or store, especially in more formal contexts or when emphasizing legal ownership.
A smiling cartoon person standing proudly in front of a small, brightly colored house, holding up a large, shiny key, symbolizing ownership.

Examples

El propietario del coche nuevo vive en el tercer piso.

The owner of the new car lives on the third floor.

Necesitas hablar con el propietario del restaurante sobre la reserva.

You need to speak with the proprietor of the restaurant about the reservation.

Los inquilinos se quejaron al propietario por el ruido.

The tenants complained to the landlord about the noise.

Gender Change

Since this word ends in '-o', it changes to '-a' for women: 'la propietaria' (the female owner). This is a standard pattern for Spanish nouns describing people.

Confusing Formality

Mistake: “Using 'propietario' in very casual talk about small items.”

Correction: For casual contexts, especially simple possessions, use 'dueño'. Use 'propietario' for official or formal ownership (houses, companies).

Choosing between 'dueño' and 'propietario'

Learners often overuse 'propietario' because it sounds more formal or similar to the English 'proprietor'. However, 'dueño' is far more common in everyday speech for referring to the owner of almost anything, including businesses.

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