Spanish · People & Family

"Cousin" in Spanish: primo / prima

el primo / la prima

Say it: PREE-moh / PREE-mahmasculine / feminine · el primo / la primanoun/ˈpɾi.mo/ /ˈpɾi.ma/

Cousin in Spanish is el primo or la prima. Match the gender: mi primo, mi prima. The plurals are los primos and las primas.

Family reunion

Mi primo llega mañana.
My cousin arrives tomorrow.
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How to pronounce primo / prima

Say it

PREE-moh / PREE-mah

/ˈpɾi.mo/ /ˈpɾi.ma/

PREE-moh / PREE-mah. Stress PREE in primo and prima.

"Cousin" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
el primothe male cousin

Male cousin.

la primathe female cousin

Female cousin.

mi primomy cousin (male)

Your male cousin.

mis primosmy cousins

Mixed group or male cousins.

How to use primo / prima in real life

  1. 1Family reunion

    Mi primo llega mañana.

    My cousin arrives tomorrow.

    Mi primo for a male cousin.

  2. 2At the park

    Juego con mi prima los domingos.

    I play with my cousin on Sundays.

    Mi prima for a female cousin.

  3. 3Group plans

    Mis primos viven en Monterrey.

    My cousins live in Monterrey.

    Mis primos for more than one.

Mistakes English speakers make with primo / prima

Incorrect: Ella es mi primo.

Correct: Ella es mi prima.

Use prima for a female cousin. Primo is masculine.

Incorrect: El prima es simpática.

Correct: La prima es simpática.

Pair la with feminine prima.

Good to know

Spanish marks cousin gender clearly with primo and prima. You will hear primo and prima often at family gatherings and holidays.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Talking about family photos

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Quién es tu primo favorito?

    Who is your favorite cousin?

  2. You

    Diego. Mi primo es muy gracioso.

    Diego. My cousin is very funny.

  3. ChatPal

    ¿Y tu prima Ana?

    And your cousin Ana?

  4. You

    También. Nos vemos mucho.

    Her too. We see each other a lot.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Cousin" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Cousin" in Spanish

How does gender work for cousin?

Primo for a man, prima for a woman. Articles match: el/la.

What is the plural?

Los primos, or las primas for women only.

Can primos include women?

Yes. Mixed groups often use primos.

How do you pronounce primo?

PREE-moh. Prima is PREE-mah.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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