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relative and Spanish relativo
In English
relative
a family member
In Spanish
relativo
adjetivo
Spanish "relativo" means: relative (adj.)
Why they get mixed up Spanish "relativo" is something that depends on context or point of view. English "relative" can be that too, but as a noun it means a family member. A family member in Spanish is "pariente," which doesn't always map to "relative" in every English sense.
If you want to say...
- relative (noun)pariente
- relative (adj.)relativo
- family memberfamiliar
Examples
All my relatives came to the party.
Todos mis parientes vinieron a la fiesta.
She's a distant relative.
Es una pariente lejana.
A relative of mine lives in Canada.
Un pariente mío vive en Canadá.
It's all relative, depending on where you live.
Todo es relativo, depende de dónde vivas.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Mi relativo vive en Canadá.
Correct: Mi pariente vive en Canadá.
Relativo is an adjective (relative to something). A family member is un pariente.
Incorrect: Invité a todos mis relativos a la boda.
Correct: Invité a todos mis parientes a la boda.
Use parientes or familiares for relatives.
Phrases you will hear
- a close relativeun familiar cercano
- distant relativesparientes lejanos
- it's all relativetodo es relativo
- relative humidityhumedad relativa
- familyfamilia
- a cousinun primo
In a conversation
- A:
A relative of mine lives in Canada.
Un pariente mío vive en Canadá.
- B:
Is she a close relative?
¿Es un familiar cercano?
- A:
She's my cousin. And it's all relative to how you see it.
Es mi prima. Y todo es relativo según cómo lo veas.
- B:
True. Family is family.
Cierto. La familia es la familia.
Test yourself
"A close relative" is...
To remember it
Relative (noun) = a family member. "Relativo" (adjective) does map to "relative."
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "relativo" mean?
Spanish "relativo" means "relative (adj.)". It looks like the English "relative", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "relative" means "a family member".
Does English "relative" mean the same as Spanish "relativo"?
Spanish "relativo" is something that depends on context or point of view. English "relative" can be that too, but as a noun it means a family member. A family member in Spanish is "pariente," which doesn't always map to "relative" in every English sense.