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ingenuo

een-HEH-nwoh/inˈxenwo/

naive

Also: gullible, innocent
A wide-eyed child in a colorful garden reaching out to touch a bright red ladybug with a look of pure wonder and trust.

📝 In Action

No seas tan ingenuo, ese correo electrónico es una estafa.

B1

Don't be so naive; that email is a scam.

Ella tiene una mirada ingenua que transmite mucha paz.

B2

She has an innocent look that conveys a lot of peace.

Fue un poco ingenuo al pensar que el trabajo sería fácil.

B1

He was a bit naive to think the job would be easy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inocente (innocent)
  • cándido (candid/simple-minded)
  • incauto (unwary)

Antonyms

  • malicioso (malicious)
  • astuto (astute/clever)
  • pícaro (crafty)

Common Collocations

  • pecar de ingenuo – to be naive to a fault
  • un comentario ingenuo – a naive remark

naive person

Also: simpleton
NounmB2
A person happily trading a large, shiny gold coin for a simple, colorful balloon offered by a shadowy figure.

📝 In Action

El pobre ingenuo creyó que se había ganado la lotería.

B2

The poor naive guy believed he had won the lottery.

Trataron a Juan como a un ingenuo.

C1

They treated Juan like a simpleton.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ingenuo" in Spanish:

gullible→innocent→naive→naive person→simpleton→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ingenuo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence is correct for a woman who is being too trusting?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ingenuidad(naivety) — Noun
ingenuamente(naively) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
atenuoextenuo
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'ingenuus', which originally meant 'free-born' (not a slave). Over time, it came to describe the qualities expected of a free person: being open, honest, and eventually, a bit too trusting.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: ingenuousFrench: ingénuPortuguese: ingênuo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'ingenuo' mean the same as 'ingenious' in English?

No! This is a 'false friend.' In Spanish, 'ingenuo' means naive. If you want to say someone is 'ingenious' (very clever), use 'ingenioso'.

Is 'ingenuo' an insult?

It depends. It can be used to describe someone's sweet, innocent nature, but it's often used to tell someone they are being foolishly trusting.