Spanish word

mote

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmote/

Meaning

  • masculine nounnickname

Example

Le pusieron a Juan el mote 'Lucho'.

They gave Juan the nickname 'Lucho'.

Illustration for mote (nickname)

More examples

En el equipo nadie usaba su nombre; todos lo conocían por el mote 'Tito'.

On the team no one used his name; they all knew him by the nickname 'Tito'.

Core concept

Short familiar label highlighting a visible feature or memorable incident.

Common phrases

  • ponerle un mote a alguien

    give someone a nickname

  • recibir un mote

    get a nickname

  • tener un mote

    have a nickname

Similar words

apodo: Everyday informal name used by peers or relatives as a familiar form of address.
sobrenombre: Nickname derived from a distinctive characteristic or an incident, used descriptively.

Definition in Spanish

Apodo breve o sobrenombre que se da a una persona, normalmente basado en una cualidad, en un rasgo físico, en un oficio o en una anécdota y usado sobre todo en contextos informales.

Word origin

Mote appears in older Spanish usage recorded in medieval sources as a label for a person and lacks a securely traced root.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the more neutral apodo or sobrenombre, mote frequently signals intimacy or teasing and is usually avoided in formal introductions.

Other meanings

  • hominynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word