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inusual

ee-noo-SWAHL

adjectivem/fB1

unusual?general description

Also:uncommon?rare occurrence,out of the ordinary?describing a situation

📝 In Action

Fue inusual que el jefe llegara tarde a la reunión.

It was unusual for the boss to arrive late to the meeting.

El clima de hoy es completamente inusual para esta época del año.

Today's weather is completely uncommon for this time of year.

Recibimos una queja inusual sobre el servicio.

We received an unusual complaint about the service.

Word Connections

Synonyms

extraño (strange)
raro (rare/weird)
insólito (unheard of)

Antonyms

usual (usual)
común (common)
normal (normal)

Common Collocations

algo inusual – something unusual
situación inusual – unusual situation
comportamiento inusual – unusual behavior

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective Agreement (Number)

Since 'inusual' ends in an 'L', it stays the same whether you are describing a masculine or feminine thing (e.g., 'el evento inusual' or 'la situación inusual'). However, you must add '-es' for plural: 'eventos inusuales'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Placement

Mistake: "La inusual visita."

Correction: La visita inusual. Usually, 'inusual' goes after the thing it describes. If you put it before the noun, it sounds more literary or formal.

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'In-' Trick

The prefix 'in-' in Spanish works just like the prefix 'un-' in English. If the base word ('usual') means 'usual,' adding 'in-' makes it the opposite: 'unusual.' Look for this pattern in other words like 'invisible' or 'incorrecto'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: inusual

Question 1 of 1

Which word is the direct opposite of 'inusual'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

usual(usual) - adjective

usualmente(usually) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'inusual' used more often than 'raro'?

'Inusual' tends to be used in more formal or objective contexts (like describing an event or statistic). 'Raro' (rare/weird) can also mean 'strange' or 'odd' and is generally more common in everyday, informal conversation.

Does 'inusual' change for masculine and feminine nouns?

No, it does not! Because it ends in 'L,' it is one of the adjectives that stays the same for both genders, like 'fácil' or 'difícil.' You only change the ending when making it plural: 'inusuales'.