Inklingo
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triste

TREES-teh/ˈtɾiste/

sad

Also: unhappy, blue
A small, cartoonish bear sitting alone with a downturned mouth and a single tear drop falling from its eye, illustrating the emotion of sadness.

📝 In Action

Hoy me siento un poco triste.

A1

I feel a little sad today.

¿Por qué estás triste?

A1

Why are you sad?

Ella se puso triste cuando se fue su amigo.

A2

She got sad when her friend left.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • apenado (saddened)
  • melancólico (melancholic)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • estar triste – to be sad (feeling)
  • ponerse triste – to get sad
  • sentirse triste – to feel sad

sad

Also: gloomy, dismal, miserable
A simple, gloomy landscape illustration showing heavy gray clouds covering the sky and soft rain falling onto a dark green field.

📝 In Action

Es una historia muy triste.

A2

It's a very sad story.

No me gustan los días tristes y grises.

B1

I don't like sad, gray days.

Fue un triste final para un gran equipo.

B1

It was a sad ending for a great team.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • lamentable (lamentable/regrettable)
  • sombrío (somber/gloomy)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • una canción triste – a sad song
  • una noticia triste – sad news
  • un día triste – a sad/gloomy day

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "triste" in Spanish:

blue→dismal→gloomy→miserable→sad→unhappy→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: triste

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence means 'He is a sad person in general' (it's part of his personality)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'trīstis', which meant the same thing: sad, gloomy, or bitter.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: tristeItalian: tristePortuguese: triste

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'el hombre triste' and 'la mujer triste'? Shouldn't it change to 'trista' for a woman?

Great question! Adjectives that end in '-e' like 'triste' are special. They don't change for masculine or feminine. The same word works for both! Other common examples are 'inteligente' (intelligent) and 'grande' (big).