Inklingo

How to Say "petty thief" in Spanish

The Spanish word forpetty thiefis pilloB2 level.

English → SpanishB2

pillo

nounB2informal
someone who steals small items
A man with a sly, untrustworthy expression, wearing a dark simple cloak, standing in a dimly lit alley and secretly tucking a small sack into his pocket.

Examples

Ese vendedor resultó ser un pillo y desapareció con nuestro dinero.

That vendor turned out to be a rogue and disappeared with our money.

La policía busca a un pillo que roba carteras en el centro.

The police are looking for a petty thief who steals wallets downtown.

Noun/Adjective Switch

In this context, 'pillo' can be used as an adjective (e.g., 'el vendedor pillo') or as a noun ('es un pillo'), meaning 'he is a rogue'.

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