Inklingo

How to Say "boor" in Spanish

The Spanish word forbooris patánB1 level.

English → SpanishB1

patán

nounB1informal
Someone who is unrefined or ill-mannered.
A man at a dinner table eating with his mouth open and feet on the table while others look surprised.

Examples

Ese patán no me pidió perdón después de empujarme.

That jerk didn't apologize after pushing me.

No seas patán y ayuda a tu abuela con las bolsas.

Don't be a jerk and help your grandmother with the bags.

Su comportamiento en la cena fue el de un patán absoluto.

His behavior at the dinner was that of an absolute boor.

Gender of the word

Although it ends in 'n', you use 'el' for a man (el patán). If you are talking about a woman, you change it to 'la patana,' though it is much more common to use the masculine version for men.

Using it as a description

You can use this word as a name for someone ('Eres un patán') or as a descriptive word ('Es un hombre patán'). In both cases, it highlights a lack of manners.

Don't confuse with 'clumsy'

Mistake:Using 'patán' to mean someone who accidentally trips or falls.

Correction: Use 'torpe' for physical clumsiness. 'Patán' is specifically about being rude or insensitive to others.

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