Inklingo

How to Say "hilarious" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cagado

ka-gah-dohkaˈɣaðo

adjectiveB2informal
Use 'cagado' to describe something extremely funny in informal, everyday conversations, particularly in Latin America.
A joyful person holding their stomach while laughing heartily.

Examples

Esa película está bien cagada, me reí muchísimo.

That movie is hilarious, I laughed so much.

Fue un momento muy cagado cuando se le cayó el pastel.

It was a really funny moment when he dropped the cake.

Tu primo es bien cagado, siempre cuenta buenos chistes.

Your cousin is really funny, he always tells good jokes.

Ser vs Estar for 'funny'

Use 'ser' if the person is naturally funny, but 'estar' if a specific situation or movie is funny.

Geographic confusion

Mistake:Saying 'esto está cagado' in Spain to mean 'this is funny'.

Correction: In Spain, people will think you mean 'this is covered in poop' or 'this is scary'. Keep this meaning for Mexico.

mortal

mor-TALmoɾˈtal

adjectiveC1informal to neutral
Use 'mortal' to describe something exceptionally funny, often in Spain, and it carries a slightly more emphatic or dramatic tone than 'cagado'.
A person sitting down and laughing so hard they are holding their stomach and leaning back dramatically.

Examples

El chiste que contó fue mortal, lloré de la risa.

The joke he told was hilarious, I cried laughing.

La subida a la montaña estuvo mortal, casi no llego.

The climb up the mountain was brutal, I almost didn't make it.

Regional and Formality Differences

Learners often confuse 'cagado' and 'mortal' due to their similar meanings. Remember that 'cagado' is more common in Latin America and generally informal, while 'mortal' is more frequent in Spain and can be used in slightly less informal contexts.

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