tío

See also: tio, tió, tio-, -tio, and ti'o

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese tio, tyo, from Late Latin thius, from Ancient Greek θεῖος (theîos).

Noun

tío m (plural tíos, feminine tía, feminine plural tías)

1. uncle

   O meu tío é o irmán da miña nai ou do meu pai.

   My uncle is my mother’s or father’s brother.

   Synonym: titío

2. (colloquial) Unknown male person, dude, guy.

   E ese tío gritoume.

   And that guy yelled at me.

3. mister (title conferred on an adult male)

   Synonym: señor

Antonyms

• (with regard to gender): tía
• (with regard to ancestry): sobriño, sobriña

Derived terms

• tío avó
• tío carnal

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Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin thius, from Ancient Greek θεῖος (theîos). Compare Italian zio, Portuguese tio, Sardinian tiu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtio/ [ˈt̪i.o]

Noun

tío m (plural tíos, feminine tía, feminine plural tías)

1. uncle (the brother of either parent)

   Mi tío es el hermano de mi madre o de mi padre.

   My uncle is my mother’s or father’s brother.

2. (colloquial, Spain) unknown or any male person, dude, guy

   Y ese tío me gritó.

   And that guy yelled at me.

   Synonyms: tipo, (Chile) gallo

3. (colloquial, Spain) friend, mate, pal, man, bro

   Tío, ¿me puedes ayudar por un momento?

   Can you help me for a moment, mate.

   Synonym: (Mexico) cuate

4. mister (title conferred on an adult male)

   Synonym: señor

Antonyms

• (with regard to gender): tía
• (with regard to ancestry): sobrino, sobrina

Derived terms

• tío abuelo
• tío carnal
• tío político

Further reading

• “tío”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014