Inklingo

How to Say "careless" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dejado

/de-HA-do//deˈxa.ðo/

AdjectiveB1General
Use this when referring to something or someone that has been neglected and is not being looked after properly, like a messy room or an unkempt appearance.
An image of an outdoor garden plot completely overgrown with weeds and wild grass, illustrating the state of being neglected.

Examples

El jardín está un poco dejado, necesita cuidado.

The garden is a bit neglected, it needs some care.

Desde que perdió el trabajo, anda muy dejado en su aspecto.

Since he lost his job, he's been very unkempt in his appearance.

La casa se sentía fría y dejada.

The house felt cold and abandoned.

Making it Match

As an adjective, dejado must change to match the thing it describes. Use dejado for masculine things (el jardín dejado) and dejada for feminine things (la casa dejada). Make it plural with -s for more than one (los parques dejados).

Forgetting to Match Gender

Mistake: “La oficina está muy dejado.”

Correction: La oficina está muy *dejada*. Since `oficina` is a feminine word, the adjective describing it needs to end in `-a`.

abandonada

/ah-bahn-doh-NAH-dah//aβandoˈnaða/

AdjectiveB2General
Choose this when describing someone who is not taking care of themselves, often due to emotional distress or a personal crisis, leading to a neglected appearance.
A messy person with uncombed hair and wrinkled, mismatched clothes.

Examples

Desde que está deprimida, se ve muy abandonada.

Since she has been depressed, she looks very neglected (untidy).

confiado

kohn-FYAH-doh/konˈfjaðo/

AdjectiveB2General
Use this to describe someone who is overly relaxed or naive because they are too sure of themselves or a situation, often implying a lack of caution.
A friendly child offering a shiny gold coin to a fox wearing a suit.

Examples

No seas tan confiado, ese hombre podría estar mintiendo.

Don't be so naive/trusting, that man could be lying.

Perdieron el juego por estar demasiado confiados.

They lost the game because they were overconfident.

The Negative Twist

Context is key. If you tell someone 'eres un confiado,' it's often a bit of a criticism, suggesting they believe people too easily.

Neglected vs. Overly Confident

Learners often confuse 'dejado' and 'abandonada' with 'confiado'. Remember that 'dejado' and 'abandonada' describe a state of neglect or lack of care, either for things or oneself. 'Confiado', however, refers to an overconfident or naive attitude, not a lack of maintenance.

Related Translations

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