Padre names a father in relation to a child; padres can refer to parents together.

The idea

The singular is el padre; the plural los padres can include mothers and fathers.

Examples

  • Mi padre vive cerca.My father lives nearby.
  • El padre de Ana trabaja en un hospital.Ana’s father works in a hospital.
  • Mis padres viven en Madrid.My parents live in Madrid.
  • Ana visita a sus padres cada sábado.Ana visits her parents every Saturday.
  • Hablo con mi padre los domingos.I speak with my father on Sundays.
  • Los padres esperan a sus hijos.The parents wait for their children.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Padres may also mean fathers in a male group; context determines the intended meaning.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the word for father: Mi ___ es un hombre. (padre / madre)

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    padre

    Padre names a father in the singular.

  2. Choose the plural for mother and father together: Mi madre y mi padre son mis ___. (padres / madres)

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    padres

    Padres can include a mother and a father together.

  3. Choose the verb agreeing with plural parents: Los padres ___ a sus hijos. (esperan / espera)

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    esperan

    Esperan agrees with the plural subject los padres.

Use it today

Describe a parent and say where your parents or another family’s parents live.