# What does a Mexican woman call her lover?



## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

Because I learned my Spanish _en el campo del futbol_, I know a lot of names to call guys, none of them polite.

In Brazil, a woman calls her lover '_meu bem_' or '_benzinho_'. What sweet name does a Mexican woman use for her lover? _Querido_?


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## CAAAllen (Nov 2, 2015)

mi amor?My Love
Sancho? the other man


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## Sandy Raven (Jan 11, 2014)

Kinda depends on the people, where their people are from, and the local Mexican culture. I have a friend in Texas who calls her husband 'Papi.' Instinct and five years of Spanish says that 'papi' is 'daddy,' and I would never call my husband/lover 'daddy.' That creeps me out. I've also heard her call him 'Papi Chulo,' which is like a big deal pimp daddy who takes care of his girls (in this instance wife and daughters.) Yes, she calls him this regularly, and they've been married for about 18 years now. There are others, but I can't think of what they are, but I could ask her. I think too, it makes a difference where they're from in Mexico. Yucatan Mexican culture is a little different than Baja California Mexican culture. The food is even different. No matter where I've been in Mexico, I've been surprised at the different tastes and variations on the same type of dish. So, it only makes sense that the words vary some too.


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## Lady Vine (Nov 11, 2012)

_Cariño_, maybe? I hear that one a lot on the telenovelas, though they're not always Mexican. _Mi amor_ also comes up frequently.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Cariño

Mi amor

Mi vida

Papi or Papi Chulo can work as well, particularly if the fellow in question is a little older. Understand, that she wouldn't be calling him her father, she'd be saying to him that SHE was Mami and he was Papi - that they would make babies together.

Papito would work if the fellow in question was younger.

Mi amor or Amorcito are also good. (my love or my little love).

Mi cielo - you are my world - is another good one.

Don't think about it too hard.

Quien mas mirameos ve - the more one looks, the less one sees.


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## Genre Hoarder (Oct 4, 2014)

I wouldn't go with the telenovela standards. Like most soap operas, they're not a realistic depiction. 

My mother, grandmothers, and aunts have always called their husband's, boyfriends, or significant others amor (without the mi in front of it), mi vida, or viejo (it's a term of endearment used frequently). I've never once heard any of them call them carino. Papi Chulo is used for the younger sect and only in certain groups. I've honestly only used that when joking, not because I actually believed that about the person.


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## Kevin Lee Swaim (May 30, 2014)

What does a Mexican woman call her lover?

Kevin.  A Mexican woman calls her lover Kevin.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2016)

Amore--if she wants something. I won't go into the ones she uses if she hates him.


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## Julie W (Apr 27, 2012)

I like the sound of _mi amor_. This sounds more romantic.

_Papi _would be used depending on the relationship I think. It means dad, but I think when said to a lover it's like saying, _daddy_.


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## Simply_Me (Mar 31, 2016)

antares said:


> Because I learned my Spanish _en el campo del futbol_, I know a lot of names to call guys, none of them polite.
> 
> In Brazil, a woman calls her lover '_meu bem_' or '_benzinho_'. What sweet name does a Mexican woman use for her lover? _Querido_?


My ancestors came from Spain, so I'm familiar with many Latin American idioms and it really changes from country to country.

There is a term of endearment that is almost unique to Mexicans. A Mexican woman would call her lover, 'mi rey'. Which means my king. And he will call her, mi reina, meaning my queen.

In Latin America, a word have different meanings depending on the country, and some words can actually be offensive.

Papi chulo is pejorative most of the time, it is basically calling somebody jerk, or worse. It could mean that a guy is handsome, or believes himself to be. But he's such a womanizer that his charm is worthless. Actually, there is a movie with that theme, Chasing papi, and is a comedy. In a serious romantic scene don't ever call a lover 'papi chulo', it won't work if the readership knows what the real meaning of those words.

Mi vida, and mi amor are words that one can call anybody, from lovers to children, and even friends. It's like saying, honey, or sweetheart.


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## Mari Oliver (Feb 12, 2016)

Here are some terms for you (I'm a native Spanish speaker):

-mi amor
-mi vida
-mi angel
-guapo
-papi or even papi chulo
-mango (this means hunk)
-chulito (Mexican slang for hottie)

You can play with these if you'd like.


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## notjohn (Sep 9, 2016)

antares said:


> What sweet name does a Mexican woman use for her lover? _Querido_?


O mio dude?


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## SerenityEditing (May 3, 2016)

I'm not fluent in Spanish, but I do live in El Paso, Texas, where we share a walk-over border with Mexico (Ciudad Juarez) about 75% of our ~700K residents speak Spanish regularly at home and/or in the workplace. (Very difficult to get a job as a non-Spanish speaker, but unfortunately my brain is completely taken over by English and English rules and puns and etymologies and...)

_Papi_ is very common, among all sorts of socioeconomic groups and age groups, though it is more of an 'in-private' or amongst-close-friends thing. At the risk of giving myself a bit of a reputation, I've had more than one boyfriend wonder if he was doing something wrong because I didn't/wouldn't call him _papi_ in bed. As Steve Vernon pointed out, it's a reference to making babies so it has a subtle sexual connotation. _Viejo_ (old man) is a light-hearted reference - sort of like the English "ball and chain" for one's wife. Often there's a nickname within the family, something that's an inside joke that gets turned into a term of endearment but doesn't get shared with others.

I'll ask my neighbor, who's a bit of a playboy, and report back if he suggests any others... as long as they're fit to be repeated! (c;


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

I now realize that I need to give more context.

The woman: her ancestors came from Mexico; age 37; she is black, skin this color: 









The man: his ancestors came from Russia; age 20; he is fair and ash blond; this with a crewcut but painfully thin: 









A couple of thoughts hit me and I want to see what the community thinks of these _dulces nombres_:
1. _mi blanquito_ 
2. _mi hombrecito_


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

SerenityEditing said:


> I've had more than one boyfriend wonder if he was doing something wrong because I didn't/wouldn't call him _papi_ in bed.


Serenity, Not to worry. I had a Mexican girlfriend myself. I think she did not like my Spanish. She only spoke English with me. Which is why I have this predicament now.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2016)

antares said:


> I now realize that I need to give more context.
> 
> A couple of thoughts hit me and I want to see what the community thinks of these _dulces nombres_:
> 1. _mi blanquito_
> 2. _mi hombrecito_


No. You have to understand just because someone is black doesn't mean they aren't Hispanic down to their fingertips. Being Hispanic totally overrules skin color IMO.


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## SerenityEditing (May 3, 2016)

antares said:


> Serenity, Not to worry. I had a Mexican girlfriend myself. I think she did not like my Spanish. She only spoke English with me. Which is why I have this predicament now.


LOL My neighbor seems to think I've finally come to my senses and am ready to embark upon our torrid affair and only need to know what name he prefers. I'm laughing so hard over here I have tears rolling down my face. Thank the gods for texting! My dog started barking at me because I startled her when I started laughing. I feel so ashamed of myself for it but omg!

*wipes tears away*

Anyway, he concurs with amor and mi rey. The other things he's mentioned so far are, I'm pretty sure, specific to him and his ego and not very widespread amongst Mexican women in general. Sorry I can't be of more help, but my deepest thanks for being the instrument by which my spirits have been so lifted!


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## Mari Oliver (Feb 12, 2016)

Mi rey is commonly used from mother to son, too. I wouldn't necessarily use that one.


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## BWFoster78 (Jun 18, 2015)

Kevin Lee Swaim said:


> What does a Mexican woman call her lover?
> 
> Kevin. A Mexican woman calls her lover Kevin.


Thank you!

Considering the setup of the title, I clicked solely to find out the completion of the joke


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## Nicole M (Nov 1, 2012)

Out_there said:


> No. You have to understand just because someone is black doesn't mean they aren't Hispanic down to their fingertips. Being Hispanic totally overrules skin color IMO.


Except that Hispanics do call each other by skin color sometimes. Saying mi negra/o, mi negrito/a is not uncommon at all. I personally haven't heard blanquito/blanco so much. But at least where I come from, negra/***** is a loving term. (Mind you, I'm Puerto Rican, not Mexican). But to the OP, you might offend some people who aren't Mexican or Hispanic and don't understand the cultural norms. I'd stick to the other ones you've been recommended.

(Also, saying Papi is not calling someone daddy. I realize that's the literal definition of it, but that's not what's meant when you call your partner Papi/Mami.)


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## Mari Oliver (Feb 12, 2016)

T S Paul said:


> Hide, my husband is home!


LOL One of the most hilarious scenes in the 1999 telenovela Soñadoras was when a young man had to hide on the balcony overnight because his lover's husband came home.


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## Yamila Abraham (Jan 5, 2016)

Julie W said:


> _Papi _would be used depending on the relationship I think. It means dad, but I think when said to a lover it's like saying, _daddy_.


I was going to say Papi, too.


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## ProseBeforeBros_ (Jul 22, 2016)

antares said:


> The man: his ancestors came from Russia; age 20; he is fair and ash blond; this with a crewcut but painfully thin:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In that case, she might call him "Guero." This is a common term of endearment for light-skinned or blonde friends/lovers.


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## Matt.Banks (May 5, 2016)

If the woman is Mexican and her lover is "white" she wouldn't call him "blanco" or "blanquito", in Mexican Spanish (maybe other countries I'm not sure) someone who looks white is referred to as guero. Guero can be used if the white person in question is a foreigner from the US or Europe as well as if they are Latino/Hispanic.


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

Nicole De Leon said:


> Except that Hispanics do call each other by skin color sometimes. Saying mi negra/o, mi negrito/a is not uncommon at all. I personally haven't heard blanquito/blanco so much. But at least where I come from, negra/***** is a loving term. (Mind you, I'm Puerto Rican, not Mexican).





ProseBeforeBros_ said:


> In that case, she might call him "Guero." This is a common term of endearment for light-skinned or blonde friends/lovers.





Matt.Banks said:


> If the woman is Mexican and her lover is "white" she wouldn't call him "blanco" or "blanquito", in Mexican Spanish (maybe other countries I'm not sure) someone who looks white is referred to as guero. Guero can be used if the white person in question is a foreigner from the US or Europe as well as if they are Latino/Hispanic.


Thank you very much. I never heard this name before despite the fact that I am a fair, blue-eyed sandy blond and my Mexican _enamorada_ was milk chocolate. Like I said, she spoke only English with me (and better than my English; FWIW she was a nurse who handled special medical needs patients; natal ICU).

I thought there may be such a usage, because in Brazil it is common for a man to call his lover _minha pretinha_, literally 'my little black girl'. I want to turn that around. _Guero_ will do nicely.

And in Brazil, blonds are called _loiro/a_. Once I heard a man refer to his _enamorada_ as _minha loira_, but it is uncommon.

Is it just _guero_ or can Isabella call Nik _mi guero_? Or _mi guerito_?


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## Matt.Banks (May 5, 2016)

I can check but I think it depends on the usage. It can be guero by itself, in which case it's basically just substituting his name, like 'Hey guero, the movie is about to start", whereas using "mi guero" is more affectionate/patronizing "What's wrong mi guero/ito? Have a bad day at work?" 

And while some Latinos/Hispanics do refer to people by skin color, it depends on the country, and even then it can vary. I've talked to several Mexicans and generally they don't use '*****' it's pretty much always moreno. I am a Black American and many Mexicans have used "moreno" to describe me even though I am "obviously" black with a medium brown skin tone. I've asked them about it and they said that typically ***** isn't used, specifically to refer to Afro-mexicans but that extends to other Black people as well, at least not in polite company or in the person's face.

I think other countries are more open about using/embracing *****, from my experience Afro-Colombians have been the most open about using the label. Whereas I've met Dominicans darker than me who wouldn't describe themselves as '*****'.


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

Matt.Banks said:


> I can check but I think it depends on the usage. It can be guero by itself, in which case it's basically just substituting his name, like 'Hey guero, the movie is about to start", whereas using "mi guero" is more affectionate/patronizing "What's wrong mi guero/ito? Have a bad day at work?"
> 
> And while some Latinos/Hispanics do refer to people by skin color, it depends on the country, and even then it can vary. I've talked to several Mexicans and generally they don't use '*****' it's pretty much always moreno. I am a Black American and many Mexicans have used "moreno" to describe me even though I am "obviously" black with a medium brown skin tone. I've asked them about it and they said that typically ***** isn't used, specifically to refer to Afro-mexicans but that extends to other Black people as well, at least not in polite company or in the person's face.
> 
> I think other countries are more open about using/embracing *****, from my experience Afro-Colombians have been the most open about using the label. Whereas I've met Dominicans darker than me who wouldn't describe themselves as '*****'.


Matt, Thank you for your help with this. Very much appreciated. _Muito obrigado_.

My experience with Brazilian culture far exceeds my experience with Cubano, Chicano, Tejano, Latino, and Mexican cultures. I am more aware of how Brazilians treat race day to day. No one ever said '_*****_'; '_preto_' was the preferred term, if a term was used at all. _Moreno/a_ referred to someone who was tanned dark, Caucasian or Afro-Brazilian, rather than naturally dark skinned. _Minha brasileira era uma morena_. Besides, there is a saying in Brazil: _Dinheiro faz todo o mundo branco_.

Because Isabella is a constructed character, I could, of course, change her nationality to Colombian, but there is a compelling reason for her to be of Mexican heritage.


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

antares said:


> Matt, Thank you for your help with this. Very much appreciated. _Muito obrigado_.
> 
> My experience with Brazilian culture far exceeds my experience with Cubano, Chicano, Tejano, Latino, and Mexican cultures. I am more aware of how Brazilians treat race day to day. No one ever said '_*****_'; '_preto_' was the preferred term, if a term was used at all. _Moreno/a_ referred to someone who was tanned dark, Caucasian or Afro-Brazilian, rather than naturally dark skinned. _Minha brasileira era uma morena_. Besides, there is a saying in Brazil: _Dinheiro faz todo o mundo branco_.
> 
> Because Isabella is a constructed character, I could, of course, change her nationality to Colombian, but there is a compelling reason for her to be of Mexican heritage.


I live in North East Brazil. There are more Morenos/Pardos (brown) described here as such in the population than ***** (Black), or brancos/loiras (white). Gringos/Estrangeiros for all races of foreigners. Moreno I hear more than Pardos who are basically mixed race and is perhaps how most see the typical Brazilian. None of the descriptions are used in racially offensive way that I've heard and I hear and see ***** and the others used all the time in print, conversation, and on the news. Another one is Mulatto (1st generation of mixed race parents)

"My lover" I'm told in Brazil for a woman to say is "meu amante" (mi amante) which could be for for someone other than a partner, or for say "my guy" is "minha cara" (mi chico) Not sure if they'd use that in Mexico.


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## Aaronhodges (Dec 19, 2015)

I'm not fluent in spanish but I have been travelling in latin america for about a year now. I've been called mi amor, su muy lindo (you're very cute), and te amo (i love you). Only the first would be an actual thing to call a lover but the others might give you a bit more vocab  
I'll ask my gf for more later tonight if you like


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

Decon said:


> I live in North East Brazil. There are more Morenos/Pardos (brown) described here as such in the population than ***** (Black), or brancos/loiras (white). Gringos/Estrangeiros for all races of foreigners. Moreno I hear more than Pardos who are basically mixed race and is perhaps how most see the typical Brazilian. None of the descriptions are used in racially offensive way that I've heard and I hear and see ***** and the others used all the time in print, conversation, and on the news. Another one is Mulatto (1st generation of mixed race parents)
> 
> "My lover" I'm told in Brazil for a woman to say is "meu amante" (mi amante) which could be for for someone other than a partner, or for say "my guy" is "minha cara" (mi chico) Not sure if they'd use that in Mexico.


Declan, _Onde mora no nordeste? Fortaleza? Recife? So passei ferias em Sao Paulo mas vivi na communidade brasileira em San Francisco.

Nunca ouvi ningem fala mulatto, nem pardo. Muitas vezes ouvi outros falar moreno/a, dos pretos e dos brancos iguais. _
+++++
Thanks all for your help. I think I have what I want : _mi guerito_. _Tchau_.


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