How to Say "loud" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “loud” is “ruidoso” — use 'ruidoso' for things or people that actively create a lot of noise, often in a disruptive way.
ruidoso
rwee-DOH-sohrwiˈðoso
Examples
El tráfico en la ciudad es muy ruidoso.
The traffic in the city is very noisy.
Mi vecino es muy ruidoso por la noche.
My neighbor is very noisy at night.
No podemos estudiar aquí, este café es demasiado ruidoso.
We can't study here; this cafe is too noisy.
El motor de ese coche viejo es extremadamente ruidoso.
The engine of that old car is extremely loud.
Matching the Gender
This word changes its ending based on what you are describing. Use 'ruidoso' for masculine things (un bar ruidoso) and 'ruidosa' for feminine things (una calle ruidosa).
Describing After the Thing
In Spanish, the word 'ruidoso' almost always comes AFTER the thing it is describing. Instead of 'a noisy party,' you say 'una fiesta ruidosa'.
Noise vs. Noisy
Mistake: “La ciudad es muy ruido.”
Correction: La ciudad es muy ruidosa.
Loud Voices
Mistake: “Él tiene una voz muy ruidosa.”
Correction: Él tiene una voz muy fuerte.
alto
al-tohˈalto
Examples
Por favor, baja el volumen, está muy alto.
Please turn down the volume, it's very loud.
La música está muy alta.
The music is very loud.
Por favor, habla más alto, no te oigo.
Please, speak louder, I can't hear you.
Le gusta leer en voz alta.
He likes to read out loud.
A Describing Word Acting Like an Action-Modifier
In English, you'd say 'speak loudly,' using an adverb. In Spanish, you often use the adjective 'alto' instead: 'hablar alto.' It describes the how of the action. It usually stays 'alto' but can sometimes change to 'alta' if it's clearly describing a feminine thing, like 'la música está alta'.
fuerte
FWER-tehˈfweɾte
Examples
Su voz es muy fuerte y se oye desde lejos.
Her voice is very loud and can be heard from far away.
Este queso tiene un sabor muy fuerte.
This cheese has a very strong flavor.
La música está demasiado fuerte, no puedo oírte.
The music is too loud, I can't hear you.
Tengo un dolor de cabeza muy fuerte.
I have a very strong headache.
escandaloso
es-kan-dah-lo-soeskan̪daˈloso
Examples
Esa fiesta se volvió muy escandalosa anoche.
That party got very rowdy last night.
Mis vecinos son muy escandalosos por la noche.
My neighbors are very noisy at night.
No seas tan escandaloso, que el bebé está durmiendo.
Don't be so loud; the baby is sleeping.
Eran un grupo de jóvenes escandalosos en el autobús.
They were a group of rowdy young people on the bus.
Matching the Ending
Remember to change the ending to 'escandalosa' for feminine things or 'escandalosos/as' for groups. If you're talking about a noisy party (la fiesta), it's 'una fiesta escandalosa'.
Describing Personality vs. State
Use 'ser' (son escandalosos) if they are naturally loud people, but use 'estar' (están escandalosos) if they are just being loud at this specific moment.
Loud vs. Noisy
Mistake: “Using 'fuerte' for a person's volume.”
Correction: Say 'eres escandaloso' instead of 'eres fuerte' when someone is making too much noise with their voice or actions.
sonoro
so-NO-rosoˈno.ɾo
Examples
El carillón de la iglesia tiene un sonido muy sonoro.
The church's carillon has a very resonant sound.
Tenía una risa sonora que se escuchaba en toda la casa.
She had a resonant laugh that could be heard throughout the house.
El actor tiene una voz muy sonora y profunda.
The actor has a very resonant and deep voice.
Un aplauso sonoro cerró la función de teatro.
A loud round of applause closed the theater performance.
Adjective Agreement
This word must match the gender of the object it describes. Use 'sonoro' for masculine things (un ruido sonoro) and 'sonora' for feminine things (una voz sonora).
Sonoro vs. Ruidoso
Mistake: “Using 'sonoro' to mean an annoying or messy noise.”
Correction: Use 'ruidoso' for annoying noise (like traffic). Use 'sonoro' for sounds that have a strong, clear, or musical quality.
Distinguishing 'Alto' vs. 'Ruidoso'
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