ingenuo
/een-HEH-nwoh/
naive
A child’s innocent wonder captures the 'ingenuo' quality of being naive and trusting.
ingenuo(adjective)
naive
?lacking experience or being too trusting
gullible
?easily fooled
,innocent
?having a simple or childlike worldview
📝 In Action
No seas tan ingenuo, ese correo electrónico es una estafa.
B1Don't be so naive; that email is a scam.
Ella tiene una mirada ingenua que transmite mucha paz.
B2She has an innocent look that conveys a lot of peace.
Fue un poco ingenuo al pensar que el trabajo sería fácil.
B1He was a bit naive to think the job would be easy.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Matching
This word changes its ending based on who you are describing. Use 'ingenuo' for a man and 'ingenua' for a woman.
Ser vs. Estar
Use 'ser' if being naive is part of someone's personality, and 'estar' if they are just acting naive in a specific situation.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Naive vs. Innocent
Mistake: "Using 'inocente' when you mean someone is easily fooled."
Correction: While 'inocente' means someone hasn't done anything wrong, 'ingenuo' specifically means they trust others too easily.
⭐ Usage Tips
Is it an insult?
It can be negative (calling someone a fool) or positive (praising someone's pure heart). Pay attention to the speaker's tone!
An 'ingenuo' person may be easily deceived by others due to their lack of experience.
ingenuo(noun)
naive person
?referring to someone who is easily deceived
simpleton
?slightly more derogatory
📝 In Action
El pobre ingenuo creyó que se había ganado la lotería.
B2The poor naive guy believed he had won the lottery.
Trataron a Juan como a un ingenuo.
C1They treated Juan like a simpleton.
💡 Grammar Points
Turning Adjectives into Nouns
In Spanish, you can turn many describing words into people-words just by adding 'el' or 'un' in front of them.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ingenuo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is correct for a woman who is being too trusting?
📚 More Resources
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.