Inklingo

How to Say "deaf" in Spanish

The Spanish word fordeafis sordoA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

sordo

AdjectiveA1
unable to hear
A storybook illustration of a child standing next to a loud ringing bell. The sound waves are visibly depicted but terminate before reaching the child's ear, illustrating deafness.

Examples

Mi abuelo es sordo de nacimiento y utiliza lengua de señas.

My grandfather is deaf from birth and uses sign language.

La mujer sorda nos explicó cómo funcionaba el sistema.

The deaf woman explained to us how the system worked.

Gender Flexibility

As an adjective, 'sordo' must match the person it describes: 'el niño sordo' (masculine) and 'la niña sorda' (feminine).

Using 'Sordo' for Hearing Loss

Mistake:Sometimes learners use 'sordo' when they mean 'hard of hearing' (hipoacúsico).

Correction: 'Sordo' usually implies complete or near-complete deafness. For partial hearing loss, 'tiene un poco de sordera' is better.

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