Hola, abuelo.
Hi, Grandpa.
On a surprise visit, the grandfather walks in and his grandchild greets him like this. Spoken straight to him, abuelo takes no article.
From Click: Perdiendo el control · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "grandpa" in Spanish
el abuelo
nounmasculineplural: los abuelosgrandma: la abuela
"Grandpa" in Spanish is el abuelo, the same word you use for grandfather. Grandchildren often say abuelito when they want to sound tender, and mi abuelo means my grandpa. Use it for your own grandfather, because calling a stranger abuelo can sound rude.
Hear "abuelo" in real movie scenes
A surprise visit and a family tradition. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Tres generaciones: mi abuelo, mi padre y yo.
Three generations: my grandfather, my father and me.
In this family it's a tradition that the grandfather started and the father carried on, and now the speaker is next. Mi abuelo opens the list.
From S.W.A.T. · Spanish audio
From abuelo to tatarabuelo
The grandfather words, going back one generation at a time.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el abuelo | grandfather, grandpa | Works in a family chat and on an official form alike. |
| el abuelito | grandpa, granddad | Sounds tender, the way a grandchild talks. |
| los abuelos | grandparents, or grandfathers | The rest of the sentence tells you which one is meant. |
| el abuelo materno / paterno | maternal / paternal grandfather | Your mother's father or your father's father. |
| el bisabuelo | great-grandfather | Your grandpa's father. |
| el tatarabuelo | great-great-grandfather | One more generation back. |
Tip: Each new prefix moves you back a generation: abuelo, bisabuelo, tatarabuelo.
Grammar: el abuelo, los abuelos
Four points for talking about your grandfather.
Two readings of los abuelos
los abuelos can be two grandfathers, or your grandma and grandpa together: Mis abuelos viven aquí.Del, never de el
Grandpa's house is la casa del abuelo. De and el fuse into del.Third-person verbs
Mi abuelo vive en España. One grandpa is él, so the verb ends like vive, escucha, lee.The ue sound
ue is one quick sound, like the we in wet: ah-BWEH-loh. The b is soft, with the lips barely touching.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Mi abuelo es muy joven.
My grandpa is very young.
¡Mi abuelo no lee ni el periódico!
My grandpa doesn't even read the newspaper!
Mi abuelo escucha música.
My grandpa listens to music.
Hola, abuelo.
Hi, Grandpa.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗¡Oiga, abuelo! (to an older man you don't know)
✓¡Oiga, señor!
Calling a stranger abuelo can sound mocking. Save it for your own grandfather.
✗la casa de el abuelo
✓la casa del abuelo
De followed by el turns into one short word, del.
✗Mi abuelo es ochenta años
✓Mi abuelo tiene ochenta años
Age goes with tener. Word for word, he has eighty years.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Abuelo ends in -lo, the same sound as the end of hello. Picture grandpa at the door with a big "hello" and a hug.
Questions about "grandpa" in Spanish
How do you say grandpa in Spanish?
El abuelo. My grandpa is mi abuelo, and the affectionate form is abuelito.
Is there a difference between grandpa and grandfather in Spanish?
No, abuelo covers both. For a softer, more childlike tone, people switch to abuelito.
How do you say great-grandfather in Spanish?
El bisabuelo. One generation further back is el tatarabuelo.
How do you say "grandpa's house" in Spanish?
La casa del abuelo, or la casa de mi abuelo for your own grandfather.
