80+ Sweet and Romantic Spanish Terms of Endearment

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Plus, other cute & quirky nicknames for loved ones

Co-authored by Carlos Valverde Ochando and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: September 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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General Terms

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Romantic Terms

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For Family

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For Friends

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Using the Diminutive in Spanish

Spanish speakers are known to be very colorful when coming up with terms of endearment. Understandably, trying your luck in a new language can be confusing and intimidating, so we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of Spanish terms of endearment, from meaning to pronunciation. You’ll be calling your significant other your cielito lindo in no time at all!

Terms of Endearment in Spanish

Bello/bella: Gorgeous (unisex)
Bonito/bonita: Cutie (unisex)
Cariño: Dear (unisex)^{[1]
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Chulo/chula: Hottie or hot stuff (unisex)
Corazon: My heart (unisex)
Guapo/guapa: Handsome/beautiful
Hermoso/hermosa: Lovely (unisex)
Lindo/linda: Pretty boy/pretty girl
Mi amor: My love (unisex)^{[2]
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Nena/nene: Baby or babe (unisex)

Section 1 of 5:

General Terms of Endearment in Spanish

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Address your favorite folks with these fun Spanish words. Whether you're talking to your SO, BFF, or family, hearing a sweet term of endearment from you could brighten their day. Greet them with kindness and a smile while referring to them by any of the following Spanish adjectives, and they’ll be think of you fondly:^{[3]
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- Bello/bella (masculine/feminine): “beautiful” or “gorgeous.”
  - How to Pronounce: “beh-yo”/ “beh-ya.”
- Bonito/bonita(masculine/feminine): “cutie” or “pretty one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “bow-knee-toe”/ “bow-knee-tah.”
- Cariño (masculine/feminine): “dear.”^{[4]
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  - How to Pronounce: “ca-ree-nyo.” The "ñ" (enye) is pronounced similarly to the “nyo” in “canyon.”
- Corazon (masculine/feminine): “heart.”
  - How to Pronounce: “co-raw-zone.”
- Chulo/chula (masculine/feminine): “hottie” or “hot stuff.”
  - How to Pronounce: “choo-lo”/ “choo-la.”
- Guapo/guapa (masculine/feminine): “handsome” for men and “attractive” for women.
  - How to Pronounce: “goo-ah-po”/ “goo-ah-pa.”
- Hermoso/hermosa (masculine/feminine): “lovely.”
  - How to Pronounce: “er-moe-soh”/ “er-moe-sah.”
- Lindo/linda (masculine/feminine): “pretty boy”/ “pretty girl.”
  - How to Pronounce: “lean-doe”/ “lean-dah.”
- Nena/nene (masculine/feminine): “baby” or “babe.”
  - How to Pronounce: “neh-nah”/ “neh-neh.”
- Precioso/preciosa (masculine/feminine): “precious” or “beautiful.”
  - How to Pronounce: “preh-see-oh-soh”/ “[preh-see-oh-sah.”

Section 2 of 5:

Spanish Terms of Endearment for Your Significant Other

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Seduce your partner by using these sweet and spicy Spanish terms. Spanish is widely regarded as the language of love. All of the sultry double R sounds coupled with the allure of foreign lands makes Spanish a very sexy language indeed. If you want to really impress your lover, in and out of the bedroom, consider sprinkling some of these words into your daily flow. Warning: your significant other may suddenly not get enough of you!^{[5]
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- Amor (masculine/feminine): “love.”^{[6]
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  - How to Pronounce: “ah-more.”
- Amor de mi vida (masculine/feminine): “love of my life.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-more dey mee vee-dah.”
- Amorcito (masculine/feminine): “little love.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-more-see-toe.”
- Bebe (masculine/feminine): “baby.”
  - How to Pronounce: “beh-beh.”
- Bizcocho (masculine/feminine): “biscuit” or “treat.”
  - How to Pronounce: “beez-coe-cho.”
- Bonbon (masculine/feminine): “bonbon” or “candy.”
  - How to Pronounce: “bohn-bohn.”
- Caramelo (masculine/feminine): “piece of candy.”
  - How to Pronounce: “cara-meh-low.”
- Corazon de melon (masculine/feminine): “melon heart.”
  - How to Pronounce: “co-raw-zone deh meh-lone.”
- Cosita (masculine/feminine): “little thing.”
  - How to Pronounce: “coe-see-tah.”
- Churri (masculine): “boyfriend.”
  - How to Pronounce: “choo-rree.”
- Dulzura (feminine): “sweetness.”
  - How to Pronounce: “dool-zuh-rah.”
- Lindura (feminine): “beauty” or “prettiness.”
  - How to Pronounce: “lean-doo-rah.”
- Mamacita(feminine): “little mama.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mah-mah-see-tah.”
- Mami/papi (masculine/feminine): “mommy” and “daddy.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mah-mee”/ “pah-pee.”
- Mi alma (masculine/feminine): “my soul.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee al-mah.”
- Mi amor (masculine/feminine): Meaning “my love.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee ah-more.”
- Mi cielo (masculine/feminine): “my sky.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee see-eh-low.”
- Mi estrella (masculine/feminine): “my star.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee es-trey-ya.”
- Mi luz(masculine/feminine): “my light.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee looze.”
- Mi rey/reina (masculine/feminine): “my king” and “my queen.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee ray”/ “mee ray-nah.”
- Mi sol (masculine/feminine): “my sun.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee soul.”
- Mi tesoro(masculine/feminine): “my treasure.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee teh-soe-roh.”
- Mi vida (masculine/feminine): “my life.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee vee-dah.”
- Mi viejo/vieja (masculine/feminine): “my oldie.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee vee-eh-hoe”/ “mee vee-eh-ha.”
- Media naranja (masculine/feminine): “half orange,” similar to the English saying, “other half” or “better half.”
  - How to Pronounce: “meh-dee-ah nah-rang-ha.”
- Muñeca (feminine): “doll.”
  - How to Pronounce: “moo-nye-ca.”
- Ojitos lindos(masculine/feminine): “pretty little eyes.”
  - How to Pronounce: “oh-jee-toes lean-does.”
- Querido/querida(masculine/feminine): “beloved.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ke-ree-doe”/ “ke-ree-dah.”
- Tigre/tigresa(masculine/feminine): “tiger” and “tigress.”
  - How to Pronounce: “tee-greh”/ “tee-greh-sah.”
- Vida mia(masculine/feminine): “life of mine.”
  - How to Pronounce: “vee-dah mee-a.”

Section 3 of 5:

Spanish Terms of Endearment for Family

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Warm your favorite family members' hearts with these adorable nicknames. In Latin American culture, people often express love by making fun of one another. Describing someone as having a “big belly” isn’t an insult as much as it is an observation, and calling someone the Spanish equivalent of “fatty” is essentially synonymous with “the one I love.” Keep reading to learn new, sweet, and hilarious ways to refer to your family:^{[7]
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- Abue (masculine/feminine): “grandpa” or “grandma.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-boo-eh.”
- Barrigon (masculine): “one with a big belly.”
  - How to Pronounce: “bah-rree-gone.”
- Bichito/bichita (masculine/feminine): “little bug.”
  - How to Pronounce: “bee-chee-toe.”
- Cachetes (masculine/feminine): “cheeks.”
  - How to Pronounce: “cah-che-tes.”
- Cacheton (masculine): “one with fat cheeks.”
  - How to Pronounce: “cah-che-tone.”
- Chiquito/chiquita (masculine/feminine): “little one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “chee-key-tee-koe.”
- Chiquillo/chiquilla (masculine/feminine): “little one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “chee-key-yo.”
- Chiquitin (masculine/feminine): “small one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “chee-key-teen.”
- Conejito (masculine/feminine): “little bunny.”
  - How to Pronounce: “koh-neh-hee-toe.”
- Cuñis (feminine): “sister in law.”
  - How to Pronounce: “koo-nyees.”
- Flaco/flaca (masculine/feminine): “skinny.”
  - How to Pronounce: “flah-coe”/ “flah-cah.”
- Frijolito (masculine/feminine): “little bean.”
  - How to Pronounce: “free-hole-ee-toe.”
- Gordito/gordita (masculine/feminine): “fatty.”
  - How to Pronounce: “gore-dee-toe”/ “gore-dee-tah.”
- Gusanito/gusanita (masculine/feminine): “little worm.”
  - How to Pronounce: “goo-sah-nee-toe”/ “goo-sah-nee-tah.”
- Manito/manita (masculine/feminine): “little brother” and “little sister.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mah-nee-toe”/ “mah-nee-tah.”
- Monito/monita (masculine/feminine): Meaning “little monkey.”
  - How to Pronounce: “moe-nee-toe”/ “moe-nee-tah.”
- Mijo/mija (masculine/feminine): “little son” and “little daughter.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee-hoe”/ “mee-hah.”
- Mi ángel (masculine/feminine): “my angel.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee ahn-hell.”
- Mi príncipe/princesa (masculine/feminine): “my prince” and “my princess.”
  - How to Pronounce: “mee preen-see-peh”/ “mee preen-ceh-sah.”
- Narizon (masculine): “one with a big nose.”
  - How to Pronounce: “nah-ree-zone.”
- Papito/mamita (masculine/feminine): “daddy” and “mommy.”
  - How to Pronounce: “pah-pee”/ “mah-mee.”
- Panzon (masculine): “one with a big belly.”
  - How to Pronounce: “pahn-zone.”
- Pequeñin (masculine): “cute little one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “peh-ke-nyn.”
- Pollito (masculine/feminine): “little chicken.”
  - How to Pronounce: “poe-yee-toe.”
- Virgencita (feminine) “little virgin.”
  - How to Pronounce: “veer-hen-see-tah.”

Section 4 of 5:

Spanish Terms of Endearment for Friends

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Show your friends some love with these funny and charming monikers. Members of the Latin American community truly prioritize family, which tends to include friends that they’ve had since childhood. You can casually call a friend “brother” or “cousin” and no one would bat an eye— or ask for a DNA test. Other nicknames are regional, like “asere” and “wey”, but they both mean “friend.” Here are some more options:^{[8]
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- Amigo/amiga (masculine/feminine): “friend.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-mee-gah.”
- Amiguis (feminine) “little friend.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-mee-geese.”
- Asere (masculine): “buddy” or “pal.”
  - How to Pronounce: “ah-seh-reh.”
- Campeon (masculine): “champion” or “champ.”
  - How to Pronounce: “cahm-peh-own.”
- Chico/chica (masculine/feminine): “guy” and “girl; similar to “dude” or “bro.”
  - How to Pronounce: “chee-ko”/ “chee-ka.”
- Colega (masculine/feminine): “colleague” but can be used colloquially.
  - How to Pronounce: “koh-leg-ah.”
- Compa/coma (masculine/feminine): “godfather/godmother of my child.”
  - How to Pronounce: “kohm-pah”/ “koh-mah.”
- Ese (masculine): “dude” or “bro.” This term is typically reserved for men.
  - How to Pronounce: “eh-seh.”
- Hermano/ hermana (masculine/feminine): Literally means “brother” and “sister” but is often used among friends as well.
  - How to Pronounce: “er-mahn-oh”/ “er-mahn-ah.”
- Jefe/jefa (masculine/feminine): “boss.”
  - How to Pronounce: “he-feh”/ “he-fah.”
- Loco/loca (masculine/feminine): “crazy one.”
  - How to Pronounce: “low-coh”/ “low-cah.”
- Muchaho/muchacha (masculine/feminine): “young boy” and “young girl.”
  - How to Pronounce: “moo-cha-cho”/ “moo-cha-cha.”
- Paisa/paisano (masculine/feminine): “fellow countryman/countrywoman.”
  - How to Pronounce: “pa-ee-sah”/ “pa-ee-sah-noe.”
- Primo/prima (masculine/feminine): Literally means “cousin” but is often used among friends as well.
  - How to Pronounce: “pree-moh”/ “pree-mah.”
- Wey/Guey (masculine): “buddy” or “pal.”
  - How to Pronounce: “way.”

Section 5 of 5:

How to Use the Diminutive in Spanish

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Add “ito,” “ita,” and “illo” at the ends of words like a native Spanish speaker. Diminutives are the 3-4 letter suffixes added to the ends of words in Spanish to denote friendliness and casualness, usually some version of “ito,” “ita,” or “illo”. They’re primarily used to describe something as a smaller version of a big thing. For example, “niño” means “boy,” but adding the “ito” turns it into “niñito,” meaning “little boy.” “Caramelo” means “candy,” while “caramelito” means “little candy.” Here are some other examples:^{[9]
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- “Cielo” meaning “sky”= “cielito” meaning “little sky.”
- “Globo” meaning “balloon” = “globito” meaning “little balloon.”
- “Zapato” meaning “shoe” = “zapatico” meaning “little shoe.”