fea
/FEH-ah/
ugly
This illustration shows a creature with an ugly appearance.
fea(adjective)
ugly
?describing appearance
,unattractive
?describing appearance
nasty
?describing a situation or action
,bad
?describing quality or weather
📝 In Action
La pintura que compró es realmente fea.
A1The painting she bought is really ugly.
Tuvimos una experiencia muy fea en el viaje.
B1We had a very nasty/bad experience on the trip.
¡Qué fea está la tormenta!
A2What a bad storm!
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Agreement
'Fea' is the feminine singular form. Remember that adjectives must match the noun they describe: use 'fea' for singular, feminine nouns (like 'chica' or 'mesa').
Placement
Like most Spanish adjectives, 'fea' usually comes immediately after the noun it describes: 'la casa fea' (the ugly house).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Genders
Mistake: "El perro es fea."
Correction: El perro es feo. (The dog is masculine, so the adjective must be 'feo'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Be Polite
Calling a person 'fea' is considered very direct and often rude. In polite conversation, it's better to use softer phrases like 'no muy atractiva' (not very attractive).
The word 'fea' can be used as a noun to refer to an ugly woman.
📝 In Action
La fea del grupo siempre se sienta sola.
B1The ugly one of the group always sits alone.
No seas una fea; ayúdame con esto.
B2Don't be a nasty person; help me with this. (Figurative use, meaning 'don't be mean')
💡 Grammar Points
Adjective as Noun
When you put an article ('la') in front of an adjective, it turns into a noun, meaning 'the [adjective] one.' For example, 'la fea' means 'the ugly one' (referring to a female).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: fea
Question 1 of 2
Which noun can 'fea' correctly describe?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make 'fea' plural?
To describe multiple feminine things, you add '-s' to get 'feas.' For example, 'Las casas son feas' (The houses are ugly).
Is 'fea' always used to describe physical appearance?
No. It is often used to describe things that are unpleasant or bad, such as 'una fea situación' (an unpleasant situation) or 'una fea actitud' (a nasty attitude).