tío
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Translating...
uncle, guy, man, mate
/ˈti.o/
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A Spanish word for an uncle, and in Spain an informal way to refer to or address a man, guy, or male friend.
Examples
Qué tío más listo, lo resolvió en un minuto.
What a clever guy, he solved it in a minute.
No conozco a ese tío, pero me suena su cara.
I do not know that guy, but his face looks familiar.
Sus tíos siempre le mandan regalos por su cumpleaños.
His uncles always send him gifts for his birthday.
Mi tío vino a cenar ayer.
My uncle came for dinner yesterday.
El tío de Ana es muy divertido.
Ana's uncle is very funny.
Similar words
muchacho
tío segundo
tipo
tío abuelo
chico
tío paterno
tío político
colega
tío materno
amigo
Meanings
Usage
Use tío for an uncle, with mi tío, tu tío, or el tío de... when marking whose uncle he is.
Examples
Mi tío vino a cenar ayer.
My uncle came for dinner yesterday.
El tío de Ana es muy divertido.
Ana's uncle is very funny.
Ayer fui al mercado con mi tío y mis primos.
Yesterday I went to the market with my uncle and my cousins.
Sus tíos siempre le mandan regalos por su cumpleaños.
His uncles always send him gifts for his birthday.
Mi padre llamó al tío Carlos para felicitarlo.
My father called Uncle Carlos to congratulate him.
Common mistakes
The accent is dropped or the masculine agreement is lost.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Mi tio vive en Sevilla.
| Mi tío vive en Sevilla.
|
| Mi tío es muy simpática.
| Mi tío es muy simpático.
|
| La tío de Ana llegó tarde.
| El tío de Ana llegó tarde.
|
Similar words
tío paterno
tío materno
tío político
tío abuelo
tío segundo
Usage
Use tío only in informal Spain-flavoured speech, because it can sound too casual or blunt outside a friendly setting.
Examples
Ese tío siempre llega tarde a la fiesta.
That guy is always late to the party.
Oye, tío, no te enfades por una tontería.
Hey, mate, do not get upset over something silly.
El tío que nos atendió fue muy amable.
The man who served us was very kind.
Qué tío más listo, lo resolvió en un minuto.
What a clever guy, he solved it in a minute.
No conozco a ese tío, pero me suena su cara.
I do not know that guy, but his face looks familiar.
Common mistakes
The slang sense is used in formal speech or transferred to women without changing the word.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| El tío del banco me aprobó el préstamo.
| El empleado del banco me aprobó el préstamo.
|
| Mi tío Luis es mi compañero de clase.
| Mi amigo Luis es mi compañero de clase.
|
| Esa tío siempre llega tarde.
| Esa tía siempre llega tarde.
|
Similar words
tipo
hombre
chico
muchacho
colega
amigo
Usage
Keep the family sense neutral, but treat the slang sense as informal and especially associated with Spain.
Common mistakes
Mi tio drops the written accent, and ese tío can sound like slang for a man rather than a family member.
Etymology
From Late Latin thius, from Greek theîos, the same family word behind Spanish tía.
FAQ
tío means uncle, and in informal Spanish from Spain it can also mean a man, guy, or male friend.
tío is the masculine form of tía, so the family meaning is uncle rather than aunt.
Yes. In Spain, tío can informally mean dude, guy, or mate depending on context.
Yes. The Spanish word is written tío with an accent on í.
The family word is neutral, but the guy or address sense is informal and best kept for casual speech.
What is the plural of tío?
The plural is tíos, used for uncles or, informally in Spain, men or guys.
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