Breakdown of El padrino es el que escribirá la carta para su ahijado.
ser
to be
la carta
the letter
su
his/her/its/their/your (formal)
escribir
to write
para
for
que
that / than
la
the (feminine)
el ahijado
godson
el padrino
godfather
Questions & Answers about El padrino es el que escribirá la carta para su ahijado.
Why do we use el que here instead of just quien?
In Spanish, el que translates to the phrase the one who or the one that. The definite article el acts as a pronoun pointing back to el padrino (a masculine singular noun) to avoid repeating the word. While you could grammatically use quien (who), using el que is a very natural and common way to single out a specific person or thing from a group.
Could I say va a escribir instead of escribirá?
Yes, both are perfectly fine. Va a escribir (is going to write) is extremely common in everyday spoken Latin American Spanish. The simple future tense escribirá (will write) is often used to sound slightly more formal, to state a promise, or to talk about an action a bit further in the future.
Why is it para su ahijado and not por su ahijado?
You use para here because it indicates the recipient or destination of the letter. The letter is intended for the godson. If you used por, it would change the meaning entirely: it would mean the godfather is writing the letter on behalf of or in place of the godson (for example, if the godson didn't know how to write).
Are the words padrino and ahijado commonly used in everyday conversation?
Yes, very much so! The godparent relationship is culturally significant and frequently talked about in Latin America. Padrino means godfather (with madrina for godmother), while ahijado means godson (and ahijada is goddaughter).
Learn El padrino es el que escribirá la carta para su ahijado and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free