paternidad
nounCEFR B2
What does “paternidad” mean in English?
the state of being a father, or the legal/biological relationship between a father and child
Example sentences
El nuevo permiso de paternidad permite a los padres pasar más tiempo con sus hijos recién nacidos.
The new paternity leave allows fathers to spend more time with their newborn children.
Tras la prueba de paternidad, el juez confirmó que el hombre era efectivamente el padre biológico.
After the paternity test, the judge confirmed that the man was indeed the biological father.
How to use it
La paternidad (noun, feminine) means 'fatherhood' or 'paternity'. Core B2 collocations: la baja por paternidad (paternity leave), ejercer la paternidad, el permiso de paternidad, una prueba de paternidad (paternity test). Compare maternidad (motherhood) — both nouns are feminine regardless of the gender they refer to.
Common mistake
Paternidad is grammatically feminine (la paternidad) even though it refers to fathers — the -dad ending is always feminine in Spanish, just like maternidad, sociedad, and libertad.
Topics
Related B2 words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones específicas: relaciones pers.