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I know grandfather is Abuelo, but are there more affectionate terms? I mean like there's Grandpa, Gramps, Grandpappy, Granddad, etc. in English, which are more informal than grandfather.

Something a kid might refer to a favourite Grandpa from Mexico as, I guess.

jacobo
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panteleimon
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    In Spain, it's usual to use "Yayo", it's the term that kids use to call Grandparents when they don't know how to speak correctly. – DMC19 Oct 03 '18 at 08:29

3 Answers3

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I know grandfather is Abuelo, but are there more affectionate terms?

In general, using the diminutive form of words in Latin American Spanish context is considered a form of affectionate variation. The specific reason, as per my understanding, is that "smaller" things (like little dogs, etc.) tend to inspire protective instincts, as well as a sense of "cuteness".

The same applies to Abuelo; by saying "Abuelito" you are conveying a more affectionate tone to it.

Another variation I've heard is using the word "Papito" along with your grandpa's name (like, for example, Papito Juan). This conveys the meaning that, being your father's father, you also consider your grandpa your "papi" (from padre, which is masculine form of parent).

This one I've noticed is common along those cases where your father and grandfather have the same name, as to avoid confusion when calling or talking to them. That way, you can affectionate refer to both as, i.e.: "Papito Juan" and "Papi Juan", for your grandfather and father, respectively.

DarkCygnus
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In Mexico, there are two common choices for this:

Abuelito

Abue

They're both extremely common.

aparente001
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I’ve heard and used Tata and Uelo(welo) short for abuelo

Bobby
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    Can you expand this to provide more information like where you heard this and in what circumstances? Welcome to the site and we hope to see your contributions in future. – mdewey Nov 24 '19 at 14:08