Ross, él no tiene hermanos ni hermanas
Ross, he doesn't have any brothers or sisters.
Rachel is looking after Ross's little son, who has no siblings yet, and next to hermanas, the word hermanos means brothers only.
From Friends · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "brother" in Spanish
el hermano
nounmasculineplural: los hermanosfeminine: la hermana
"Brother" in Spanish is el hermano. The plural hermanos can mean brothers, or brothers and sisters together, so ¿Tienes hermanos? asks whether you have any siblings. The h is silent: ehr-MAH-noh.
Hear "hermano" in a real scene
One scene with brothers and sisters in the same line. The video starts and stops on that line.
Brother words in Spanish
Older, younger, twin, half or in-law. Each one has its own phrase.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el hermano mayor | older brother |
| el hermano menor / el hermano pequeño | younger brother |
| el hermano gemelo | twin brother |
| el medio hermano | half brother |
| el hermanastro | stepbrother |
| el cuñado | brother-in-law |
Tip: Friends sometimes call each other hermano, the way English speakers say bro.
Grammar: el hermano, los hermanos
Four points for talking about your brothers.
Change the ending for sister
el hermano is brother, la hermana is sister. Only the last letter and the article change.Hermanos: brothers or siblings
los hermanos can be all boys or a mix. Tengo dos hermanos can mean one brother and one sister.Older and younger
Put mayor or menor after the noun: mi hermano mayor, mi hermano menor.The h is silent
Say ehr-MAH-noh, with a quick tapped r and no English h.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Tengo un hermano.
I have a brother.
Mi hermano es rubio.
My brother is blond.
Tranquilo, es mi hermano.
Relax, he's my brother.
Tengo dos hermanos.
I have two siblings.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗her-MAH-noh (pronunciation)
✓ehr-MAH-noh
The h is never pronounced in Spanish.
✗mi viejo hermano (meaning older brother)
✓mi hermano mayor
Viejo means old in years. For birth order, use mayor.
✗mi hermano en ley
✓mi cuñado
Spanish has its own word for brother-in-law.
Real conversation: a stack of presents
A short dialog in the line at a toy store.
You're at the checkout of a toy store with your arms full of presents. Your neighbor Clara is behind you in line.
¡Vaya! ¿Cinco regalos?
Wow! Five presents?
Sí, tengo cuatro hermanos.
Yes, I have four siblings.
¿Cuatro? ¿Y este regalo?
Four? And this present?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Hermano starts with the name Herman. Picture a big brother called Herman, then drop the h when you say it: ehr-MAH-noh.
Questions about "brother" in Spanish
How do you say brother in Spanish?
El hermano. "My brother" is mi hermano.
How do you say siblings in Spanish?
Los hermanos. The masculine plural covers brothers and sisters together: ¿Tienes hermanos? means "Do you have any siblings?"
How do you say older brother and younger brother in Spanish?
Hermano mayor is older brother and hermano menor is younger brother. In Spain you'll also hear hermano pequeño.
How do you say brother-in-law in Spanish?
El cuñado. It's a separate word, so there's no need to build it from hermano.
