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How to Say "fools" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tontas

/TON-tahs//ˈtontas/

nounA2informal
Use this word when referring to a group of females who are acting foolishly, often in a lighthearted or admonishing way.
A group of girls wearing colorful costumes and oversized glasses, making funny faces together.

Examples

¡No sean tontas, vengan a la fiesta!

Don't be fools, come to the party!

Turning Descriptors into People

In Spanish, you can often use a describing word as a name for a person. Instead of saying 'silly people,' you just say 'tontas' to mean 'the silly ones' (female).

estúpidas

nounB1derogatory
This is a common, derogatory term for a group of females acting foolishly or unintelligently, implying a lack of sense.

Examples

¡Mira a esas estúpidas, no saben cruzar la calle!

Look at those fools, they don't know how to cross the street!

idiotas

ee-dee-OH-tas/iˈðjo.tas/

B1derogatory
Use this versatile, derogatory term for any group of people (male or mixed-gender) who are acting unintelligently or making a mistake.
A storybook illustration showing three cartoonish characters standing close together, each wearing a large metal bucket over their head, illustrating confused foolishness.

Examples

¡Los idiotas se olvidaron de comprar la leche otra vez!

The idiots forgot to buy the milk again!

No hagas caso a esos idiotas; no saben de lo que hablan.

Don't pay attention to those fools; they don't know what they are talking about.

Gender Flexibility

The singular form 'idiota' works for both men and women (el idiota, la idiota). The plural 'idiotas' is used for groups of any gender.

imbéciles

nounB2insulting
This is a strong, insulting term for people who are acting foolishly or have done something considered very stupid.

Examples

¡Esos imbéciles no leyeron las instrucciones!

Those idiots didn't read the instructions!

Gender and Intensity Matter

The most common mistake is not considering the gender of the 'fools' or the intensity of the insult. Remember that 'tontas' is specifically for females and is often milder, while 'estúpidas', 'idiotas', and 'imbéciles' can be used for mixed or male groups and vary in their level of offensiveness.

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