Mis clientes, mi esposa, mis hijos.
My clients, my wife, my kids.
Someone lists the people in his life: one wife takes mi, while the plurals take mis.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "wife" in Spanish
la esposa
nounfeminineplural: las esposashusband: el esposo
"Wife" in Spanish is la esposa: Es mi esposa, she's my wife. In Spain many people also say mi mujer. The word for husband is el esposo or el marido.
Hear "esposa" in real scenes
My wife, your wife, his wife. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Cómo está tu esposa?
How's your wife?
At a party, this is how you ask an old acquaintance about his wife.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Nuestro amigo Seth y su esposa.
Our friend Seth and his wife.
Here su esposa means Seth's wife, but said to someone you call usted it means your wife, so the situation decides.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Esposa, mujer, pareja: words for a wife
Five words you'll hear, and one of them has nothing to do with marriage.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| la esposa | wife | The standard word, understood everywhere. |
| la mujer | wife, woman | Very common in Spain: mi mujer. Context tells you if it means wife or woman. |
| la pareja | partner | For a partner, married or not. |
| la exesposa, la ex | ex-wife | Mi ex works for any former partner. |
| las esposas | handcuffs | The same word in the plural, with a police meaning. |
Tip: The husband is el esposo or el marido, and a married couple is los esposos.
Grammar: la esposa, mi esposa
Four points for talking about someone's wife.
It's feminine
la esposa, una esposa, las esposas. Both s sounds are a clean s, never a z.Mi or mis
The possessive takes -s only for a plural noun: mi esposa, mis hijos, tus amigos.Su has several meanings
su esposa can mean his wife, her wife, or your wife when you speak to someone as usted. To be clear, say la esposa de Seth.Introducing her
Te presento a mi esposa. This is my wife. Use the a because she's a person.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es mi esposa.
She's my wife.
¿Dónde está tu esposa?
Where's your wife?
Mi esposa está triste porque no hay nieve.
My wife is sad because there's no snow.
A mi esposa le gusta mezclar música.
My wife likes to mix music.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗mis esposa
✓mi esposa
One wife, so mi without the -s.
✗Es mi esposo (a man about his wife)
✓Es mi esposa
Esposo is husband. For a wife, the word ends in -a.
✗es-POH-zah (pronunciation)
✓es-POH-sah
The s between vowels stays a hissing s, never a buzzing z.
Practice: 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 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Esposa starts like es posible. Picture your wife saying "¡Es posible!" to every plan you make.
Questions about "wife" in Spanish
How do you say wife in Spanish?
La esposa: Es mi esposa. In Spain people also say mi mujer.
How do you say "my wife" in Spanish?
Mi esposa, with mi and no -s. To introduce her: Te presento a mi esposa.
Does esposas also mean handcuffs?
Yes. Las esposas means wives or handcuffs, and the context makes it clear which one.
Is esposa related to the English word spouse?
Yes. Esposa and spouse both come from Latin.
