| Principal Translations |
| dear adj | (in letter: salutation) | querido/a adj |
| | (formal) | estimado/a adj |
| | (muy formal) | distinguido/a adj |
| | Dear John, thank you for your letter. |
| | Querido John, gracias por tu carta. |
| dear adj | (beloved) | querido/a adj |
| | Yes, my dear brother. |
| | Sí, querido hermano. |
| dear adj | (respected, esteemed) | apreciado/a adj |
| | | querido/a adj |
| | We are indebted to our dear doctor. |
| | Estamos en deuda con nuestro apreciado doctor. |
| dear adj | (precious) | preciado/a adj |
| | | estimado participio |
| | Our family is very dear to us. |
| | La familia es nuestro bien más preciado. |
| | La familia es nuestro bien más estimado. |
| dear adj | UK, informal (item: expensive) (precio) | alto/a, caro/a adj |
| | I can't afford to buy that coat. It's too dear. |
| | No puedo pagar ese saco, el precio es muy alto. |
| dear adj | UK, dated, informal (shop: charges high prices) (coloquial) | carero/a adj |
| | Don't shop there, it's very dear. |
| | No compres en ese lugar, son muy careros. |
| dear adv | UK, dated, informal (at a high price) | caro/a adj |
| | They sell things very dear in that shop. |
| | En esa tienda venden las cosas muy caras. |
| dear n | (person: lovable) | adorable adj |
| | There were twenty children in that class, all of them dears. |
| | Había veinte niños en esa clase, todos adorables. |
| dear interj | informal (term of address) | cariño interj |
| | | mi vida loc interj |
| Note: Not used with men. Potentially offensive when addressing strangers. |
| | Are you warm enough, dear? |
| | ¿Estás calientita, cariño? |
| | ¿Estás calientita, mi vida? |