Inklingo

How to Say "rubbish" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “rubbish” is “basura” — use 'basura' for literal garbage, trash, or waste that you throw away, and also colloquially for something of very poor quality, like bad media..

English → Spanish

basura

/ba-SOO-ra//baˈsuɾa/

nounA1/B1common
Use 'basura' for literal garbage, trash, or waste that you throw away, and also colloquially for something of very poor quality, like bad media.
A large, black, tied-up trash bag overflowing with colorful household garbage next to a metal trash can.

Examples

Por favor, saca la basura.

Please, take out the trash.

El camión de la basura pasa los martes por la mañana.

The garbage truck comes on Tuesday mornings.

No tires basura en el parque.

Don't throw litter in the park.

Esta película es basura, no pierdas tu tiempo.

This movie is rubbish, don't waste your time.

Always Feminine

Remember that 'basura' is a feminine word, so you'll always use 'la basura' or 'una basura', never 'el' or 'un'.

Describing People and Things

To say something or someone 'is trash', you use the structure 'ser una basura'. For example, 'El programa es una basura' (The show is trash).

Using 'Estar' instead of 'Ser'

Mistake: “Él está una basura.”

Correction: Él es una basura. Use 'ser' because you're describing someone's character or the essential quality of a thing, not a temporary state.

tonterías

nounA2informal
Use 'tonterías' to refer to silly or nonsensical talk or ideas that should be dismissed.

Examples

Por favor, deja de decir tonterías y habla en serio.

Please stop talking nonsense and speak seriously.

estupideces

/es-too-pee-DEH-ses//estupiˈðeθes/

nounB1informal
Use 'estupideces' for more serious or offensive nonsense, often used as a direct dismissal of someone's foolish words or actions.
A colorful illustration of a silly jester hat with bells sitting on a table next to a rubber duck.

Examples

No digas más estupideces y escucha.

Stop saying more nonsense and listen.

Perdí mucho dinero haciendo estupideces.

I lost a lot of money doing stupid things.

¡Qué cantidad de estupideces dice ese hombre!

That man says so much rubbish!

Making it plural

This word is the plural of 'estupidez'. In Spanish, words that end in 'z' change the 'z' to a 'c' before adding 'es' to make them plural.

The 'idad' trap

Mistake: “Saying 'estupidades'.”

Correction: The correct word is 'estupideces'. English speakers often try to use '-idad' (like 'stupidity'), but Spanish uses '-ez' for this specific word.

porquería

nounB2informal
Use 'porquería' to describe a physical object or product that is of very low quality, poorly made, or a piece of junk.

Examples

No compres ese teléfono, es una porquería.

Don't buy that phone, it's a piece of junk.

Trash vs. Nonsense vs. Low Quality

Learners often confuse 'basura' with the other words. Remember that 'basura' primarily means physical trash, though it can extend to bad media. For talk or ideas, use 'tonterías' or 'estupideces'. For a poorly made object, 'porquería' is best.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.