Solo dime su apellido.
Just tell me their last name.
The apellido is the family name you inherit instead of choosing, and solo asks for that part alone.
From Novocaine sin dolor · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "last name" in Spanish
el apellido
nounmasculineplural: los apellidos
"Last name" in Spanish is el apellido, and your first name is el nombre. Most people in Spain and Latin America have two apellidos, one from each parent. To ask for it, say ¿Cuál es tu apellido?
Hear "apellido" in real movie scenes
Two ways to ask for someone's family name. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Cuál es tu apellido?
What's your last name?
In any official setting, this is the question that follows right after your first name.
From El dictador · Spanish audio
Name words on a Spanish form
What each box on a registration form is asking for.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el nombre | first name |
| el apellido | last name |
| el primer apellido | first last name, traditionally the father's |
| el segundo apellido | second last name, traditionally the mother's |
| el nombre completo | full name |
| el apellido de soltera | maiden name |
Tip: In Spain, women keep their own apellidos when they marry, so a husband and wife usually have different last names.
Grammar: el apellido, los apellidos
Four points for filling in forms and introductions.
Masculine
el apellido, un apellido, los apellidos. Adjectives agree with it: un apellido muy común.Two of them
Spanish speakers usually carry dos apellidos: García López means García from one parent and López from the other.Asking for it
¿Cuál es tu apellido? With usted: ¿Cuál es su apellido? You'll also hear ¿Qué apellido tiene?Giving it
Mi apellido es Gómez. For your full name, the first name goes before the apellidos: Me llamo Marta Gómez.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
el apellido
the last name
Mi apellido es Gómez.
My last name is Gómez.
¿Qué apellido tiene Carol?
What's Carol's last name?
Claro, mi apellido es Torres.
Sure, my last name is Torres.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Mi nombre es Gómez (giving your last name)
✓Mi apellido es Gómez
Nombre is your first name, or your name in general. The family name is apellido.
✗el último nombre
✓el apellido
A word-for-word translation of last name doesn't work. Spanish has its own word for it.
✗ah-peh-LEE-doh (pronunciation)
✓ah-peh-YEE-doh
Spanish ll doesn't sound like the l in hello. In apellido it sounds close to the y in yellow.
Real conversation: the class list
A short dialog with a classmate. Tap to listen.
You and your classmate Andrés are filling in the class list together.
Oye, ¿tu apellido es García?
Hey, is your last name García?
No, es Gómez.
No, it's Gómez.
¡Ah, Gómez! ¿Y tu nombre?
Oh, Gómez! And your first name?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 26 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Apellido starts with ape. Picture a whole family of apes, each one wearing a name tag with the same last name.
Questions about "last name" in Spanish
How do you say last name in Spanish?
El apellido, said ah-peh-YEE-doh. Your first name is el nombre.
Why do Spanish speakers have two last names?
Most people in Spain and Latin America get one apellido from each parent. Traditionally the father's comes first and the mother's second.
How do you ask "What's your last name?" in Spanish?
¿Cuál es tu apellido? With someone you call usted, say ¿Cuál es su apellido?
How do you say maiden name in Spanish?
El apellido de soltera, from soltera, a single woman.
