Spanish word

tío

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtio/

Meaning

  • masculine noununcle

Example

Mi tío trabaja en una escuela.

My uncle works at a school.

Illustration for tío (uncle)

More examples

Mi tío vino a visitarnos ayer.

My uncle came to visit us yesterday.

Core concept

Brother of a parent.

Common phrases

  • mi tío

    my uncle

  • el tío de María

    María's uncle

  • tío paterno

    father's brother

Similar words

tía: Sister of one's parent.
abuelo: Male grandparent.
primo: Person who shares the same grandparents.
tipo: Colloquial label for someone, used like "guy" in conversation.

Definition in Spanish

Pariente masculino que es hermano de uno de los padres; coloquialmente, término para llamar a alguien o referirse a un hombre de manera familiar.

Word origin

Most scholars trace Spanish tío to reconstructed Vulgar Latin *tiu/*tio, the ancestor of the modern word.

Usage tips

  • In Spain tío frequently works like 'mate' or 'dude' in informal speech, while in much of Latin America it more often denotes an actual uncle.

Other meanings

  • guynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word