Inklingo

How to Say "meager" in Spanish

English → Spanish

poco

/PO-ko//ˈpoko/

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'poco' when you want to emphasize that there is simply not a large quantity of something, without necessarily implying poor quality.
A nearly empty bookshelf with only a few books on one shelf, illustrating the concept of 'few'.

Examples

Hay poca comida para todos los invitados.

There is meager (little) food for all the guests.

Hay pocos coches en la calle hoy.

There are few cars on the street today.

Tengo poca paciencia para estas cosas.

I have little patience for these things.

Recibimos pocas quejas sobre el servicio.

We receive few complaints about the service.

Making 'Poco' Agree

When 'poco' describes a thing, it must change to match. Use 'poco' for masculine things, 'poca' for feminine things, 'pocos' for plural masculine things, and 'pocas' for plural feminine things.

Forgetting to Match

Mistake: “Tengo poco amigas.”

Correction: Tengo pocas amigas. You need to use 'pocas' because 'amigas' is a feminine, plural word.

miserable

mee-seh-RAH-bleh/mi.seˈɾa.βle/

AdjectiveB1General
Choose 'miserable' when the meager amount is also of poor quality or is insufficient to the point of being unacceptable or pitiable.
A large, empty white plate with only a single, minuscule green pea sitting in the center.

Examples

Recibió un pago miserable por su trabajo.

He received a meager (pitifully small/inadequate) payment for his work.

El salario que me ofrecieron era realmente miserable.

The salary they offered me was truly miserable (meager/inadequate).

Vivían en condiciones miserables, sin agua potable.

They lived in wretched conditions, without drinking water.

Describing Resources

When talking about money, living situations, or food, using 'miserable' emphasizes how desperately poor or insufficient the resource is.

Choosing between 'poco' and 'miserable'

Learners often confuse 'poco' and 'miserable' by using 'miserable' when only a small quantity is meant. Remember, 'miserable' adds a layer of poor quality or inadequacy beyond just a small amount.

Related Translations

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