Estar forrado
/es-TAR foh-RRAH-doh/
To be very rich, loaded with money.
💡 Understanding the Idiom
🎨 Literal vs. Figurative
Literally, 'estar forrado' means to be 'lined' or 'covered', like a book or a piece of furniture.
In reality, it means to be very rich or 'loaded' with money.
Key Words in This Idiom:
📝 In Action
Desde que vendió su empresa, mi tío está forrado.
B2Since he sold his company, my uncle is loaded.
No te preocupes por la cuenta, invita María. ¡Está forrada!
B2Don't worry about the bill, María's paying. She's filthy rich!
📜 Origin Story
This expression comes from the word 'forro', which means the inner lining of clothing. In the past, people would often sew hidden pockets into the lining of their coats to safely carry their money and valuables. Someone who had so much money that their clothes were 'lined' with it was considered 'forrado'. The idea is that they have money stashed everywhere, making them incredibly wealthy.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use for People, Not Companies
This idiom is almost always used to describe a person's wealth. It sounds a bit strange to say a company or a country 'está forrado'. It's personal and informal.
Always Use 'Estar'
The expression is fixed with the verb 'estar', not 'ser'. Think of it as describing someone's current state of being flush with cash. So, it's 'él está forrado', not 'él es forrado'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing it with Literal Lining
Mistake: "Using 'estar forrado' to talk about an object that is literally lined or covered, like a jacket or a book."
Correction: This phrase is almost exclusively used to mean 'rich'. If you want to say a jacket is lined, you would say 'la chaqueta tiene forro' (the jacket has a lining).
🌎 Where It's Used
Spain
Extremely common and widely used in informal conversation across the country.
Latin America
Much less common. It might be understood in some countries like Argentina, but most regions have their own local slang for being rich, such as 'estar podrido en plata' (to be rotten with money).
🔗 Related Idioms
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: Estar forrado
Question 1 of 1
If someone says their friend 'está forrado', what do they mean?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'estar forrado' a rude or negative thing to say?
Not necessarily, but it's very informal. It can sometimes carry a slight tone of envy or suggest that the person has 'new money', but it's generally used among friends simply to state that someone is very wealthy.
Can I use 'forrado' for a woman?
Yes, absolutely. Like any adjective, it changes with gender. You would say 'Él está forrado' for a man and 'Ella está forrada' for a woman.