The most romantic nicknames to woo your Spanish sweetheart

Are you a fatty, half an orange or just somebody's darling? The Local gives you the most affectionate romantic names to call your Valentine (with some exceptions), from the classic to the hilarious terms of endearment.

Published: 24 January 2020 11:00 CET
Updated: 14 February 2022 12:14 CET

Fatty, little pigeon or half orange are some of the more orignal ways to refer to your other half in Spanish. Photo: sept commercial/Unsplash

My fatty

Photo: Chris Pirillo/Flickr

No, you won’t get a slap or an evil look if you call your Spanish lover a gordi. This pet name for lovers is commonly used regardless of people’s weight. Say gordo/a (just straight fat) and the outcome of your name-calling may be very different.

My half an orange

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Don’t worry, the person referring to you as mi media naranja doesn’t want to bleed or squeeze you dry. The expression means my better half or my soul mate.

Little pigeon

Photo: Ingrid Taylar/Flickr

Fear not, your partner will not think you’re comparing them to a mucky city bird. Pichoncito/a, ‘little bird’, is sickly sweet but not offensive.

La parienta

Archive photo: Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

Word of warning, gents – this is not a loving term to use with your wives or girlfriends. The English equivalent is ‘the missus’ and in Spanish parienta can also be understood as a relative.

My soul

Photo: Emily Haun/Flickr

It sounds deep, but the term mi alma is used more often by Andalusian grandmothers who bump into you in the street than by young people in relationships. A similar but more suitable name Spanish couples do use is mi vida (my life).

My little insect/bug

Photo: Feans/Flickr

Don’t be put off by the pet name bicho or bichito. Depending on your partner’s behaviour, you can decide whether you want it to be a dung beetle or a ladybird.

My love/darling

Photo: Emiliano Horcada/Flickr

The golden oldies never die. Mi amor and cariño are still the most common pet names used by Spanish couples.

My sky

Photo: Jinhan /Flickr

For the lovebirds who are on a high, mi cielo or just cielo is an endearing pet name to use.

Tesoro

Photo: Pau Llopart Cervello/Pixabay

Mi tesoro might be what Spanish-dubbed Gollum calls ‘my precious’ in The Lord of the Rings, but in Spain referring to someone as tesoro is a classic, perhaps slightly outdated way, of calling them darling.

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