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How to Say "poor" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “poor” is “pobre” — use this when referring to someone or a family lacking money or material possessions..

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pobre

/PO-breh//ˈpo.βɾe/

AdjectiveA2General
Use this when referring to someone or a family lacking money or material possessions.
A small, simple, ceramic piggy bank that has a crack in it and is lying on its side, completely empty, illustrating a lack of money.

Examples

Es una familia muy pobre, no tienen mucho dinero.

They are a very poor family, they don't have much money.

¡Pobre niño! Se cayó de la bicicleta.

Poor kid! He fell off his bike.

La cena fue un poco pobre, solo sopa y pan.

The dinner was a bit meager, just soup and bread.

Position Changes Everything!

The meaning of 'pobre' changes depending on where you put it. Before a person or thing, it means 'unfortunate' or 'pitiful' (¡Pobre Juan!). After it, the word usually means 'lacking money' (Un hombre pobre).

Same for Him and Her

'Pobre' doesn't change for masculine or feminine things. You say 'un hombre pobre' and 'una mujer pobre'. Just add an 's' for plural: 'los niños pobres'.

Sympathy vs. Money

Mistake: “Vi un hombre pobre en la calle. (when you mean you felt sorry for him)”

Correction: Vi a un pobre hombre en la calle. (To show you feel sympathy, put 'pobre' first. Saying 'hombre pobre' just describes his financial status.)

malo

/MAH-loh//'malo/

AdjectiveA1General
Use this to describe something of low quality, such as a bad connection, a poor performance, or a bad product.
A poorly made, broken toy robot with an arm dangling off, illustrating low quality.

Examples

Este es un libro malo; no me gusta.

This is a bad book; I don't like it.

Tuve un mal día en el trabajo.

I had a bad day at work.

La película tiene un final muy malo.

The movie has a very bad ending.

Shortening 'malo' to 'mal'

When 'malo' comes right before a masculine word, it shortens to 'mal'. For example, you say 'un mal día' (a bad day), not 'un malo día'.

Matching the Noun

Like most adjectives, 'malo' changes to match the thing it describes: 'malo' (masculine singular), 'mala' (feminine singular), 'malos' (masculine plural), and 'malas' (feminine plural).

Forgetting to shorten to 'mal'

Mistake: “Tengo un malo presentimiento.”

Correction: Tengo un mal presentimiento. (I have a bad feeling.) Remember to drop the '-o' before a single masculine thing.

mal

/mal//mal/

AdjectiveA1General
Use this to describe a situation or state that is not good, like a bad day or a poor outcome.
A person standing under a personal, small dark rain cloud while everyone else around is in the bright sunshine, representing a 'bad day'.

Examples

Hoy es un mal día para ir a la playa.

Today is a bad day to go to the beach.

Fue un malentendido.

It was a misunderstanding.

El lobo es el mal personaje del cuento.

The wolf is the bad character in the story.

The Shortening Rule

The adjective 'malo' changes to 'mal' ONLY when it comes right before a masculine noun. For example, 'un día malo' becomes 'un mal día'.

Using `mal` after the noun

Mistake: “Es un día mal.”

Correction: Es un día malo. The short form 'mal' can only go before the noun. If you put the adjective after, you must use the full form 'malo'.

delicado

deh-lee-KAH-doh/deliˈkaðo/

AdjectiveB1General
Use this when referring to someone's health that is fragile or not robust.
A small figure cautiously walking on a very narrow, winding ice path suspended high above a dark chasm, representing a tricky or sensitive situation.

Examples

Mi tío está delicado de salud desde la operación.

My uncle has been in poor health since the operation.

Tuvimos que manejar el tema con mucho tacto porque era una cuestión delicada.

We had to handle the topic with great care because it was a sensitive issue.

Describing Health

When talking about someone's health, use the verb 'estar' (to be temporarily) with 'delicado' to mean they are currently ill or frail: 'Ella está delicada'.

Using 'Ser' for Temporary Health

Mistake: “Mi abuelo es delicado de salud.”

Correction: Mi abuelo está delicado de salud. ('Ser' implies a permanent trait; 'estar' implies a current state.)

humilde

oo-MEEL-deh/uˈmil.de/

AdjectiveB1General
Use this to describe someone's origins or background as modest, not necessarily implying poverty but a lack of privilege.
A small, unpainted wooden cottage with a single window and a simple stone path leading to the door, surrounded by green grass.

Examples

A pesar de su origen humilde, llegó a ser presidente.

Despite his humble origin, he became president.

Viven en una casa humilde, pero es muy acogedora.

They live in a simple/modest house, but it is very cozy.

Pidió un trabajo humilde para empezar a ganar dinero.

He asked for a lowly job to start earning money.

Describing Things

When describing things like houses or backgrounds, 'humilde' means 'simple' or 'not fancy' rather than lacking self-confidence.

miserable

mee-seh-RAH-bleh/mi.seˈɾa.βle/

AdjectiveB1General
Use this to describe something that is extremely low in quality, quantity, or value, often with a negative connotation.
A large, empty white plate with only a single, minuscule green pea sitting in the center.

Examples

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.

Pobre vs. Mísero vs. Malo

Learners often confuse 'pobre' (lacking money) with words like 'miserable' (extremely poor quality/quantity) or 'malo'/'mal' (bad quality/state). Always consider if you're talking about financial status, quality, or a negative situation.

Related Translations

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