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How to Say "silly person" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “silly person” is “pavo” — use 'pavo' when referring to someone who is generally clueless, naive, or easily fooled, often in a harmless way..

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pavo

/PAH-voh//ˈpaβo/

nounB1informal
Use 'pavo' when referring to someone who is generally clueless, naive, or easily fooled, often in a harmless way.
A person with a confused expression wearing a metal cooking pot upside down on their head like a hat.

Examples

¡Qué pavo eres! ¿Cómo se te ocurrió hacer eso?

What an idiot you are! How did it occur to you to do that?

Mi hermano es un poco pavo cuando intenta hablar con chicas.

My brother is a bit clueless/awkward when he tries to talk to girls.

Using 'Pavo' as an Adjective

This word can also be used as an adjective (a describing word) meaning 'silly' or 'awkward.' Example: 'Está un poco pavo' (He is a bit awkward).

Gender Agreement

Mistake: “Using 'el pavo' to refer to a silly girl.”

Correction: When referring to a silly female, you must use the feminine form: 'Ella es una pava' (She is a silly girl).

indio

IN-dyoh/ˈin.djo/

nounC1informal insult
Use 'indio' as a stronger, more offensive insult for someone acting foolishly or doing something stupid.
A simplistic storybook illustration showing a character with a bewildered expression wearing a traditional dunce cap, symbolizing foolishness.

Examples

¡No seas indio! ¿Cómo se te ocurre hacer eso?

Don't be an idiot! How did you think of doing that?

Se portó como un indio en la reunión y ofendió a todos.

He behaved like an uncivilized person at the meeting and offended everyone.

Used as a Noun

In this informal usage, 'indio' acts as a noun describing a person. It changes gender/number: 'la india' (the stupid woman), 'los indios' (the stupid people).

Pavo vs. Indio

Learners often confuse 'pavo' and 'indio' because both can mean 'idiot.' Remember that 'pavo' is milder and describes general cluelessness, while 'indio' is a harsher insult for a specific foolish action.

Related Translations

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