Ese hombre es Rex Kramer.
That man is Rex Kramer.
Here someone finally points out the person everyone has only been talking about, and ese hombre singles him out.
From ¿Y dónde está el piloto? · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "man" in Spanish
el hombre
nounmasculineplural: los hombreswoman: la mujer
"Man" in Spanish is el hombre. The h is silent, so you say OHM-breh, and its partner word is la mujer, woman. For a polite "sir" or "gentleman" Spanish uses el señor, and a young man is usually el chico.
Hear "hombre" in real movie scenes
Pointing someone out, then a pep talk. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Eres un hombre.
You're a man.
Eres un hombre also works as encouragement: you remind someone who he is.
From Una casa patas arriba · Spanish audio
Hombre, señor, chico: words for men
Pick the word by age and by how polite you need to be.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el hombre | man | The general word, fine in almost any situation. |
| el señor | gentleman, sir, Mr. | Polite. Señor García is Mr. García. |
| el chico | boy, young man, guy | Informal, and common for young adult men as well as boys. |
| el caballero | gentleman | Very polite. You'll see Caballeros on restroom doors. |
| el tío | guy | Slang in Spain. It also means uncle. |
| ¡Hombre! | Hey! Come on! Of course! | An exclamation in Spain, said to men and women alike. |
Tip: On restroom doors, look for Hombres or Caballeros for men and Mujeres or Damas for women.
Grammar: el hombre, los hombres
Four points that come up as soon as you use it.
Masculine, ending in -e
el hombre, un hombre, los hombres. The final -e gives no clue about gender, so keep el attached to it.The h stays silent
Spanish never sounds the h. Two syllables: OHM-breh, with the r tapped once after the b.Gran hombre, hombre grande
Most adjectives go after it: un hombre valiente. Un gran hombre is a great man, while un hombre grande is a big one.Man and woman
el hombre, la mujer: ¿Es un hombre o una mujer? For "my husband", people say mi marido or mi esposo.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es un hombre valiente.
He's a brave man.
¿Es un hombre o una mujer?
Is it a man or a woman?
Un hombre maravilloso.
A wonderful man.
Ese hombre es Rex Kramer.
That man is Rex Kramer.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗HOM-breh with an English h (pronunciation)
✓OHM-breh
Hombre starts with a vowel sound. The h is only on paper.
✗un grande hombre
✓un gran hombre
Before a singular noun, grande shortens to gran, and the meaning shifts to great.
✗nombre (meaning man)
✓hombre
Nombre means name. Hombre has a silent h and starts with o.
Real conversation: a new customer
A short dialog on a bench in the town square.
You're sitting on a bench in the square, and a friend tells you how her day at the shop went.
Hoy hay un cliente nuevo en el negocio.
There's a new customer at the shop today.
¿Es un hombre o una mujer?
Is it a man or a woman?
Un adolescente, y compra varios regalos.
A teenage boy, and he's buying several gifts.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
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 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Drop the silent h and hombre sounds like the middle of sombrero. Picture a man almost hidden under a huge sombrero.
Questions about "man" in Spanish
How do you say man in Spanish?
El hombre, said OHM-breh because the h is silent. The plural is los hombres.
What does "¡hombre!" mean in Spanish?
In Spain it's an everyday exclamation, close to "come on" or "of course": ¡Hombre, claro! People say it to women too.
What's the difference between hombre and señor?
Hombre is the general word for man. Señor is politer and means sir, gentleman or Mr.
How do you say "man and woman" in Spanish?
Hombre y mujer. In the plural: hombres y mujeres.
