él es mi tío.
He's my uncle.
Tío is your mom's or dad's brother, and inside the family it always means that, whatever you hear on the street.
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "uncle" in Spanish
el tío
nounmasculineplural: los tíosfeminine: la tía
"Uncle" in Spanish is el tío, the brother of your mom or dad. An aunt is la tía. Say it in two syllables, TEE-oh, and keep the accent on the í when you write it.
Hear "tío" in real movie scenes
Two scenes where someone talks about their uncle. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Llama a mi tío.
Call my uncle.
In a quick request, mi tío is enough to say who to call, no name needed.
From El Karate Kid 2 · Spanish audio
Tío, tía and the rest of the family
The words you need around your uncle.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el tío | uncle | Your mom's or dad's brother. |
| la tía | aunt | Swap the -o for -a. |
| los tíos | uncles, or aunt and uncle | Context tells you which. |
| el tío abuelo | great-uncle | Your grandparent's brother. |
| el tío político | uncle by marriage | Your aunt's husband. In everyday talk most people just say tío. |
| el sobrino, la sobrina | nephew, niece | What your uncle calls you. |
Tip: Your uncle's children are your primos, your cousins.
Grammar: el tío, la tía
Four points for talking about your uncle.
Tío, tía, tíos
el tío for an uncle, la tía for an aunt. Mis tíos can mean my uncles, or my aunt and uncle together.Uncle + name
el tío Pedro is Uncle Pedro. With a possessive, drop the article: mi tío Pedro.Es or está
Use ser for what he's like: Mi tío es hablador. Use estar for how he feels now: Mi tío está nervioso.Put a in front
When your uncle is the one you call, see or visit, add a: Llama a mi tío. Visito a mi tío.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Él es mi tío.
He's my uncle.
¿Va tu tío también?
Is your uncle going too?
Mi tío es independiente y hablador.
My uncle is independent and talkative.
Mi tío está muy nervioso.
My uncle is very nervous.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗TYOH (pronunciation)
✓TEE-oh
The accent on the í splits tío into two syllables.
✗Mi tío es nervioso (about today)
✓Mi tío está nervioso
For how someone feels right now, use estar.
✗Llama mi tío
✓Llama a mi tío
A person as the object of the verb takes a in front.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Tío rhymes with río, river. Picture your uncle fishing in the río every summer.
Questions about "uncle" in Spanish
How do you say uncle in Spanish?
El tío, pronounced TEE-oh. Aunt is la tía.
How do you say "aunt and uncle" in Spanish?
Los tíos. Mis tíos can mean my uncles or my aunt and uncle, and the context tells you which.
What does tío mean in Spain?
Among friends in Spain, tío also means guy or dude: ¡Tío, qué bien! In the family it always means uncle.
How do you say great-uncle in Spanish?
El tío abuelo. A great-aunt is la tía abuela.
