Spanish usually uses casado or casada for “married,” with the form matching who you’re talking about.
“Married” feels like one simple word in English, yet Spanish asks one extra thing: who is married. That’s where gender and number come in. Once you get that match right, the rest is easy, and your sentences sound natural instead of stiff.
What “married” means in Spanish
In daily Spanish, the adjective for “married” is casado (said of a man) or casada (said of a woman). In many situations you’ll pair it with estar: estar casado / estar casada.
Spanish also has nouns tied to marriage. Matrimonio is “marriage” as an institution or legal state. Boda is the wedding event. Esposo and esposa mean “husband” and “wife,” and cónyuge works as a neutral “spouse” in formal writing.
Polite ways to bring it up
Marriage can be a personal topic, so wording matters. If you’re meeting someone new, a softer line keeps things friendly.
- ¿Tienes pareja? (Do you have a partner?)
- ¿Estás en pareja? (Are you seeing someone?)
- ¿Estás casado o casada? (Are you married?)
If you’re not sure which form to use, you can ask with both options, or choose a neutral noun: ¿Tu estado civil? works in formal settings.
How To Say Married In Spanish in daily speech
Most of the time you’ll say you’re married with estar, not ser. Think of it as your current status.
- Estoy casado. (I’m married.)
- Estoy casada. (I’m married.)
- ¿Estás casado? / ¿Estás casada? (Are you married?)
When you talk about other people, the adjective still matches the person who is married.
- Él está casado.
- Ella está casada.
- Mis padres están casados.
- Mis tías están casadas.
In casual chat, you’ll also hear casado used after a noun: un hombre casado, una mujer casada. It’s the same idea, just tucked into a description.
Choosing the right form fast
If you can answer two questions, you’ll pick the right form in a snap.
- Is the person a man or a woman? That gives you casado or casada.
- Is it one person or more than one? That gives you singular or plural.
Plural forms are casados (mixed group or all men) and casadas (all women). For a couple as a unit, many speakers use están casados.
Quick pronunciation notes
Casado has three syllables: ca-SA-do. Casada is ca-SA-da. Keep the stress on “sa.” Spanish “d” is softer than English “d,” closer to the sound in “this” for many speakers, especially between vowels.
When “ser casado” shows up
You might hear ser casado in fixed, formal phrasing, or in older styles. In regular conversation, estar casado is the line you’ll use most.
Common pairings you’ll hear
Once you know casado, these combos help you talk about marriage in richer ways without sounding like you’re reading a form.
Talking about getting married
The verb is casarse. It’s reflexive, so it carries little pronouns like me and se.
- Me casé en 2020. (I got married in 2020.)
- Se casaron el sábado. (They got married on Saturday.)
- ¿Cuándo te casas? (When are you getting married?)
You can also use casarse con for “to marry” someone: Se casó con Ana.
Marriage vs wedding
Matrimonio is the status or institution. Boda is the event. Mixing them can make a sentence feel off.
- Su matrimonio es de veinte años. (Their marriage is twenty years old.)
- La boda fue en una iglesia. (The wedding was in a church.)
Spouse words
In daily talk, mi esposo and mi esposa are common. In formal writing, cónyuge is neutral and fits forms and legal wording.
Grammar notes that keep sentences clean
You’ll see casado used two ways: after estar for status, and as a plain adjective that describes a person. Both are correct, so choose the one that fits your sentence.
If you’re saying “My friend is married,” you can pick either pattern:
- Mi amigo está casado. (status)
- Mi amigo es casado. (description)
The second line sounds more like a label, so many speakers stick with estar in casual talk. If you’re writing a bio or short profile, the adjective style can fit well: Profesora, madre, casada.
Watch one more detail: adjectives agree with the person described, not with the speaker. So you’d say Mi hermana está casada even if you’re a man, because your sister is the one described.
Last tip: when you describe a group of women, use casadas. When the group is mixed, casados is the default in standard grammar.
Table of forms and close meanings
Use this table as a fast reference when you’re writing, texting, or filling out a profile.
| Spanish | English sense | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| casado | married (man) | Status of one man |
| casada | married (woman) | Status of one woman |
| casados | married (plural) | Couple, mixed group, or men |
| casadas | married (plural) | Group of women |
| estar casado/a | to be married | Daily status line |
| casarse | to get married | Action, past or plan |
| matrimonio | marriage | Status, legal sense |
| boda | wedding | Ceremony, party, date |
| cónyuge | spouse | Formal, gender-neutral |
Details that change the wording
Spanish has handy add-ons that tell you what kind of marriage you mean. You’ll see these in profiles, paperwork, and family talk.
Civil marriage and church marriage
Casado por lo civil points to a civil marriage. Casado por la iglesia points to a church marriage. Many speakers shorten them to por civil and por la iglesia when the context is clear.
- Estoy casada por lo civil.
- Mis abuelos están casados por la iglesia.
Engaged is not married
“Engaged” is comprometido or comprometida. The ring stage is estar comprometido/a. That keeps you from saying you’re married when you mean you’re planning a wedding.
- Estoy comprometido.
- Está comprometida con Alex.
Separated and divorced
If you need the wording, separado / separada is “separated,” and divorciado / divorciada is “divorced.” Many forms list these next to casado/a and soltero/a.
Talking about same-sex spouses
Spanish grammar still matches the person speaking or the person described, not the gender of the spouse. So a woman married to a woman still says Estoy casada. A man married to a man says Estoy casado. If you want a neutral spouse word, mi pareja is common.
Country and register notes
You’ll hear marido in Spain as “husband,” while many areas favor esposo. Señora and señor can hint at marital status in older usage, yet it’s not a reliable marker and not needed for your sentence.
Situations that trip learners
Some English patterns don’t map one-to-one, so the Spanish line needs a small tweak.
Saying “I’m married to…”
Use con in Spanish.
- Estoy casado con Luis.
- Estoy casada con Marta.
If you want to add a time frame, use desde: Estoy casado desde 2015.
Answering “Married?” on a form
Forms may use a noun label like estado civil (marital status). Options vary by country, yet you’ll often see casado/a, soltero/a, divorciado/a, viudo/a. If the form shows only casado, many people still select it regardless of gender; some forms list both.
Talking about a married couple
You can say una pareja casada (a married couple) or un matrimonio (a married couple, also “a marriage”). Context makes it clear.
Describing someone as “a married man”
This is where Spanish often places the adjective after the noun.
- Es un hombre casado.
- Es una mujer casada.
If you want a softer tone, you can add ya (already): Ya está casado. Use it with care; tone depends on context.
Mini practice: swap in the right word
Try these out loud. Pick the form that matches the subject, then check the pattern.
- Yo (mujer): Estoy ____. → casada
- Yo (hombre): Estoy ____. → casado
- Mis amigas: Están ____. → casadas
- Mis hermanos: Están ____. → casados
Then build one extra sentence of your own: add a name with con, or add a year with desde. That little add-on makes the phrase stick.
Table of ready-to-use sentences
These lines cover common moments: introductions, small talk, and profiles.
| Situation | Spanish | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| Basic status | Estoy casado. | I’m married. |
| Basic status | Estoy casada. | I’m married. |
| Ask politely | ¿Estás casado? | Are you married? |
| Ask politely | ¿Estás casada? | Are you married? |
| With spouse name | Estoy casado con Sofía. | I’m married to Sofía. |
| With spouse name | Estoy casada con Diego. | I’m married to Diego. |
| Time frame | Estamos casados desde 2018. | We’ve been married since 2018. |
| Getting married | Me casé en mayo. | I got married in May. |
| Wedding event | La boda es el viernes. | The wedding is on Friday. |
Short checklist before you hit send
Right before you post, text, or answer someone, run this quick check in your head.
- Match casado or casada to the person described.
- Use plural casados or casadas for groups.
- Use estar for status lines.
- Use casarse when you mean the act of getting married.
- Use matrimonio for the status, boda for the event.
A few natural extras that sound local
Once the core word is solid, these add-ons help your Spanish sound less like a textbook line.
Adding “recently” without drama
Try recién or hace poco: Recién me casé or Me casé hace poco. Both work in many regions.
Referring to a partner without labels
If you don’t want “husband” or “wife,” you can say mi pareja (my partner). It’s common in many places and keeps the sentence simple.
If you’re chatting online, you might see “casad@” or “casadx” as inclusive shorthand. That style is informal and varies by group. For clear writing, stick with casado, casada, or pareja when neutrality matters in most daily messages.
Talking about someone else’s marriage
You can say Su matrimonio va bien for “Their marriage is going well,” or Tienen un buen matrimonio. Tone depends on your relationship with the listener.
Closing note
If you learn one thing, make it this: casado and casada are the day-to-day way to say “married,” and the small matching step is what makes the phrase click. Practice two or three lines from the sentence table, swap names, and you’ll have it ready when the topic comes up.