How to Say "crafty" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “crafty” is “astuto” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El zorro es un animal muy astuto.
The fox is a very cunning animal.
Ella es una negociadora astuta; siempre consigue el mejor precio.
She is a shrewd negotiator; she always gets the best price.
Necesitas ser astuto para ganar este juego de estrategia.
You need to be clever to win this strategy game.
Agreement is Key
As an adjective, 'astuto' must match the person or thing it describes in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): astuto (m. sing.), astuta (f. sing.), astutos (m. plur.), astutas (f. plur).
Confusing Cleverness
Mistake: “Using 'astuto' when you just mean generally 'smart' (like good grades).”
Correction: Use 'inteligente' or 'listo' for general smartness. 'Astuto' implies a specific, often strategic or crafty type of cleverness.
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.