Inklingo

How to Say "shallow" in Spanish

English → Spanish

superficial

/soo-pehr-fee-SYAL//supeɾfiˈsjal/

adjectiveB1/B2General
Use 'superficial' for a wound or injury that is not deep, or for a person or topic that lacks depth of thought or emotion.
A close-up illustration of a small, light scratch on a person's forearm.

Examples

La herida es superficial, no necesita puntos.

The wound is superficial; it doesn't need stitches.

El médico dijo que la herida es solo superficial.

The doctor said the wound is only superficial.

Hicieron una limpieza superficial de la casa.

They did a superficial cleaning of the house.

No seas tan superficial, lo importante es el interior.

Don't be so shallow; what matters is what's inside.

One Form for All

This word stays the same whether you are describing a masculine or feminine thing. You only change it to 'superficiales' if you are talking about more than one thing.

Using with 'Ser'

Use the verb 'ser' with this word when describing a person's character (e.g., 'Ella es superficial').

Don't use for water

Mistake: “El agua es superficial.”

Correction: El agua es poco profunda.

hueco

WAY-kohˈw̝e.ko

adjectiveC1General
Choose 'hueco' to describe a person, conversation, or idea that is empty, lacking substance, or intellectually shallow.
A very thin, small puddle of clear water barely covering a flat surface, illustrating lack of depth.

Examples

Su discurso sobre el arte moderno me pareció muy hueco.

His speech about modern art seemed very shallow to me.

No me gusta su filosofía; me parece muy hueca.

I don't like his philosophy; it seems very shallow (or empty) to me.

Aunque es guapo, es una persona bastante hueca.

Although he is handsome, he is quite a superficial person.

Figurative Extension

This meaning extends the idea of 'hollow' (Definition 2) to describe a person's character, implying they are empty inside, lacking seriousness or intelligence.

cortas

/kor-tahs//ˈkoɾtas/

adjectiveA1General
Use 'cortas' to describe something physically short in length or duration, such as short sleeves or a short breath.
A very short yellow pencil sitting next to a very long blue pencil to show the difference in length.

Examples

Tiene la respiración muy corta después de subir las escaleras.

He has very short breaths after climbing the stairs.

Llevas unas mangas muy cortas.

You are wearing very short sleeves.

Las vacaciones fueron muy cortas.

The holidays were very short.

Matching the Noun

Use 'cortas' when the things you are describing are feminine and there is more than one of them (like 'faldas' or 'ideas').

Wrong Ending

Mistake: “Los caminos son cortas.”

Correction: Say 'Los caminos son cortos'. Use 'cortas' only for feminine words.

Superficial vs. Hueco

Learners often confuse 'superficial' and 'hueco' when describing a person's lack of depth. Remember that 'superficial' can refer to a lack of emotional or intellectual depth, while 'hueco' specifically implies emptiness or a lack of substance, often in a more critical sense.

Related Translations

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