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How to Say "crook" in Spanish

English → Spanish

corrupto

/ko-ROOP-toh//koˈrupto/

nounB2informal
Use 'corrupto' to describe someone who is morally degenerate or who has betrayed public trust, especially a criminal or dishonest official.
A person wearing a dark cloak and a mask holding a stolen treasure chest.

Examples

El corrupto huyó del país con el dinero.

The corrupt man fled the country with the money.

rata

RAH-tah/ˈra.ta/

nounB2informal
Use 'rata' to describe a stingy or selfish person who is unwilling to share or spend money, often in a petty or mean way.
A cartoon illustration of a person with a worried expression, tightly clutching a small, worn leather coin pouch to their chest with both hands.

Examples

No seas rata y paga la mitad de la cuenta.

Don't be a cheapskate and pay half the bill.

Ese político es una rata; solo piensa en robar.

That politician is a crook; he only thinks about stealing.

Referring to People

When used to describe a person, 'rata' is grammatically feminine (it takes 'la' or 'una'), but it can refer to a man or a woman.

Using the Masculine Form

Mistake: “Using *rato* instead of *rata* when insulting someone.”

Correction: The insult is always *rata*. *Rato* means 'a while' or 'a moment' and has a totally different meaning.

Corrupto vs. Rata

Learners often confuse 'corrupto' and 'rata' because both can describe a dishonest person. Remember that 'corrupto' specifically refers to someone involved in corruption or a deeply immoral act, while 'rata' is more about being stingy or petty.

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