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How to Say "pointless" in Spanish

English → Spanish

inútil

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'inútil' when referring to objects, tools, or actions that are no longer functional or effective, meaning they serve no practical purpose.

Examples

Esas herramientas están rotas, son completamente inútiles.

Those tools are broken; they are completely useless.

vano

VAH-nohˈba.no

AdjectiveB1General
Choose 'vano' to describe efforts, pleas, or hopes that are futile or have no chance of success, emphasizing a lack of positive outcome.
A small person straining to push a huge, grey stone block up an extremely steep hill, illustrating a futile effort.

Examples

Todos sus ruegos fueron vanos.

All his pleas were futile/useless.

Trabajamos en vano, el proyecto fue cancelado.

We worked in vain (for nothing), the project was cancelled.

Gender and Number Match

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'vano' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'vano' for masculine singular nouns (el esfuerzo vano), 'vana' for feminine singular (la esperanza vana), 'vanos' for masculine plural, and 'vanas' for feminine plural.

Using 'vano' instead of 'vacío'

Mistake: “La caja es vana.”

Correction: La caja está vacía. ('Vano' describes lack of result or purpose, not physical emptiness. Use 'vacío' for something physically empty.)

estéril

AdjectiveC1Formal
Use 'estéril' when a discussion, argument, or activity is unproductive and lacks meaning or purpose, leading to no resolution or progress.

Examples

Fue una discusión estéril que no resolvió nada.

It was a fruitless discussion that resolved nothing.

Inútil vs. Vano

Learners often confuse 'inútil' and 'vano'. Remember that 'inútil' typically applies to things that don't work (like a broken tool), while 'vano' describes efforts or hopes that are simply unsuccessful or futile.

Related Translations

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