-ado
Spanish, suffix/ˈado/
-ado is spelled A-D-O (3 letters). -ado is a Spanish masculine suffix meaning “when added to nouns, forms adjectives indicating a characteristic or resemblance; -ate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Forma el participio de los verbos de la primera conjugación (infinitivo terminado en -ar)”.
What does -ado mean in English?
suffix
- 1
when added to nouns, forms adjectives indicating a characteristic or resemblance; -ate
lóbulo (“lobe”) + -ado → lobulado (“lobate”)
suffix
- 1
forms the masculine singular past participle of regular -ar verbs
llamar (“to call”) + -ado → llamado (“called”)
suffix
- 1
masculinewhen added to nouns, forms nouns indicating a position or domain
obispo (“bishop”) + -ado → obispado (“bishopric”)
- 2
masculinewhen added to nouns, forms nouns indicating a collective
profesor (“teacher”) + -ado → profesorado (“teaching staff”)
suffix
- 1
masculineforms the noun denoting the result, product, object, or effect of the action expressed by a verb
resultar (“to result”) + -ado → resultado (“result”)
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
suffix: 1. Forma el participio de los verbos de la primera conjugación (infinitivo terminado en -ar). 2. Forma adjetivos y sustantivos a partir de verbos. 3. Indica semejanza con el significado de la palabra raíz.. 4. Crea sustantivos con el significado de acción o efecto a partir de un verbo..
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of -ado
- participle-forming suffix past
Source: English Wiktionary and Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce -ado?
- /ˈado/
- [ˈa.ð̞o]
- [ˈað̞o]
Sources: English Wiktionary, Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to -ado
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.