How to Say "angry" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “angry” is “enojado” — use 'enojado' for general anger or displeasure, suitable for most common situations where someone is mad or unhappy..
enojado
eh-noh-HAH-doh/e.noˈxa.ðo/
Examples
Mi jefe está enojado porque llegué tarde.
My boss is angry because I arrived late.
Ella no quiere hablar; parece que está muy enojada.
She doesn't want to talk; she looks very mad.
Nosotros estábamos enojados con la decisión del árbitro.
We were angry about the referee's decision.
Use with ESTAR
Since 'enojado' describes a temporary emotional state (how someone feels right now), you almost always use it with the verb 'estar' (to be).
Gender and Number
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'enojado' must change its ending to match the person it describes: 'enojada' (for a woman), 'enojados' (for men/mixed group), 'enojadas' (for women only).
Using SER for Emotion
Mistake: “Soy enojado.”
Correction: Estoy enojado. (Using 'ser' would imply being angry is a permanent personality trait, which is grammatically possible but 'estar' is standard for current emotion.)
enfadado
/en-fah-DAH-doh//em.faˈða.ðo/
Examples
Mi hermano está enfadado porque perdí su libro favorito.
My brother is angry because I lost his favorite book.
Ella se puso muy enfadada cuando el tren se retrasó.
She got very annoyed when the train was delayed.
Es una persona enfadada, siempre se queja de todo.
He is an angry person; he always complains about everything.
Feeling vs. Character
Use 'estar enfadado' (to be angry) to describe a temporary feeling right now. Use 'ser enfadado' (less common) to describe someone who is generally an angry person.
Matching the Ending
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'enfadado' must match the person or thing it describes: 'enfadado' (masculine singular), 'enfadada' (feminine singular), 'enfadados' (masculine plural), 'enfadadas' (feminine plural).
Confusing 'Angry at'
Mistake: “Estoy enfadado a ti.”
Correction: Estoy enfadado contigo. (Use 'con' when saying who you are angry *with*.)
bravo
BRAH-voh/ˈbɾaβo/
Examples
Mi jefe estaba bravo porque llegué tarde a la reunión.
My boss was angry because I arrived late to the meeting.
¡No te pongas brava por una cosa tan pequeña!
Don't get mad over such a small thing!
Changing Endings
Like many Spanish descriptions, 'bravo' changes its ending to match the person or thing it describes: 'bravo' (masculine singular), 'brava' (feminine singular), 'bravos' (masculine plural), and 'bravas' (feminine plural).
Using 'Ser' vs. 'Estar'
Mistake: “Soy bravo.”
Correction: Estoy bravo. (You use 'estar' because anger is a temporary state or feeling, not a permanent characteristic.)
alterado
/al-te-RAH-doh//alteˈɾaðo/
Examples
Cálmate un poco, te veo muy alterado.
Calm down a bit, you look very upset.
El cliente se puso alterado porque el vuelo se canceló.
The customer became agitated because the flight was canceled.
Using 'estar' vs 'ser'
Use 'estar' with this word to describe a temporary mood or state of mind. Using 'ser' is very rare and would imply the person is permanently 'changed'.
Not a False Friend for 'Alternative'
Mistake: “Using 'alterado' to mean 'an alternative option'.”
Correction: Use 'alternativo' for options. 'Alterado' always means something has been changed or someone is upset.
caliente
/ka-lyen-te//kaˈljente/
Examples
Es una persona de sangre caliente, se enoja con facilidad.
He's a hot-blooded person, he gets angry easily.
El entrenador se puso caliente con el árbitro por la mala decisión.
The coach got angry with the referee for the bad call.
En la película, el personaje principal es un amante muy caliente y apasionado.
In the movie, the main character is a very hot and passionate lover.
Enojado vs. Enfadado
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