10 romantic (and sometimes strange) nicknames for your sweetheart in Spain

FROM honey bun to sweetie-poo, the English language has its fair share of nauseating terms of endearment.

This Valentine’s day, why not mix it up a bit and try out some Spanish nicknames for your beloved?

Romantic lovers Valentine Abdul Gani Unsplash

You might want to explain yourself first though, as some of these terms can sound a little strange when directly translated…

Little fat one

Gordi is short for gordito or gordita, which literally mean ‘little fat one’. In English this might be taken as an insult, but in Spanish it has nothing to do with your weight and is used purely out of affection.

My half an orange

Spaniards use media naranja in the same way that you would call someone your other half in English.

My soul

Alma mia can be used as a term of endearment for family members as well as lovers, and is not as intense as it sounds in English.

Little pigeon

Pichoncito/a is a shortening of the word pichón, meaning ‘pigeon’. It may not sound appealing to be compared to these ‘flying rats’ in English, but in Spanish it’s a sickly-sweet nickname which comes originally from South America.

My life

If someone calls you mi vida it means that you are very important to them, although it’s much more common in Spanish than it would be to call someone ‘my everything’ in English.

Heart

Spaniards will often refer to a loved-one as corazón, or ‘heart’.

Affection

Carino is one of the most common terms of endearment in Spanish, and can be used to apply to everyone. It literally translates as ‘affection’, but is used in the same way that ‘darling’ or ‘love’ would be in English. Between lovers it is often shortened to just ‘cari’.

My sky

Mi cielo or simply cielo can be translated as ‘my sky’. Cielo also means ‘heaven’, so if you call someone your pedacito de cielo, you’re calling them your ‘little piece of heaven’.