Inklingo
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informal

een-for-MAHL/infoɾˈmal/

casual, informal

Also: relaxed
A person wearing a comfortable t-shirt and jeans standing in a relaxed pose.

📝 In Action

Hoy puedo ir al trabajo con ropa informal.

A1

Today I can go to work in casual clothes.

Tuvimos una cena informal con los vecinos.

A2

We had an informal dinner with the neighbors.

Me gusta el ambiente informal de esta cafetería.

B1

I like the relaxed atmosphere of this coffee shop.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desenfadado (relaxed/carefree)
  • relajado (relaxed)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ropa informal – casual clothes
  • reunión informal – informal meeting
  • trato informal – informal treatment/manner

unreliable

Also: flaky
Latin America
A person waiting at a park bench looking at an empty space where someone should be.

📝 In Action

No confíes en él para el proyecto; es muy informal.

B1

Don't trust him with the project; he is very unreliable.

Siento haber sido tan informal con nuestra cita.

B2

I'm sorry for being so flaky with our date.

Es un trabajador informal y siempre llega tarde.

B1

He is an unreliable worker and always arrives late.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • cumplidor (reliable/steadfast)
  • serio (serious/reliable)

Common Collocations

  • ser un informal – to be an unreliable person

unofficial

Also: informal
A small handmade fruit stand on a sidewalk without any signs or registers.

📝 In Action

Mucha gente trabaja en el sector informal.

B2

Many people work in the informal sector (unregulated).

Recibió una educación informal en su casa.

C1

He received an informal education at home.

Llegamos a un acuerdo informal sin firmar nada.

B2

We reached an unofficial agreement without signing anything.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • extraoficial (unofficial)
  • irregular (irregular)

Antonyms

  • oficial (official)
  • regulado (regulated)

Common Collocations

  • sector informal – informal/underground economy
  • vivienda informal – informal housing
  • aprendizaje informal – informal learning

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "informal" in Spanish:

flaky→unofficial→unreliable→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: informal

Question 1 of 3

If someone tells you to wear 'ropa informal' to a party, what should you wear?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') combined with 'formalis' (relating to forms or rules). It literally means 'not according to the rules or form'.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: informalFrench: informelItalian: informale

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'informal' ever change to 'informala' for women?

No. Words that end in 'l' in Spanish are almost always the same for both men and women. You say 'el hombre informal' and 'la mujer informal'.

Is it a bad thing to be 'informal'?

It depends! If we're talking about clothes or a party, it's just a style. But if we're describing a person's reliability, it is usually a negative thing, meaning they are flaky.

What's the difference between 'informal' and 'relajado'?

'Informal' usually refers to the lack of rules or dress codes, while 'relajado' specifically describes a feeling of being relaxed or calm.