Inklingo

How to Say "steep" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pronunciado

pro-noon-SYAH-dohpɾonunˈθjaðo

adjectiveB1general
Use 'pronunciado' when referring to a slope or incline that is very sharp or noticeable, similar to how you might describe a sharp angle.
A single bright red apple sitting in the middle of a bowl of many green apples.

Examples

La pendiente de la montaña era muy pronunciada.

The mountain's slope was very steep.

Tiene un acento extranjero muy pronunciado.

He has a very noticeable foreign accent.

Hay un descenso pronunciado al final de la calle.

There is a steep descent at the end of the street.

El paciente mostró un alivio pronunciado después del tratamiento.

The patient showed a significant relief after the treatment.

Matching the Noun

Since this is an adjective, it must match the person or thing it describes. Use 'pronunciado' for masculine nouns and 'pronunciada' for feminine nouns.

Don't use it for volume

Mistake:Su voz es muy pronunciada.

Correction: Su voz es muy fuerte.

pino

pee-noˈpino

adjectiveC1general
Use 'pino' specifically for a slope or incline that is difficult to ascend due to its steepness.
A very sharp, steep green hill rising sharply towards the sky.

Examples

Tuvimos que parar a descansar porque la cuesta era muy pino.

We had to stop to rest because the slope was very steep.

La cuesta era muy pina y nos cansamos pronto.

The slope was very steep and we got tired quickly.

Subimos por un sendero muy pino.

We went up a very steep path.

Gender Agreement

As an adjective, it must change to 'pina' if the noun is feminine (e.g., 'una calle pina').

subido

soo-BEE-dohsuˈβiðo

adjectiveB1general
Use 'subido' when describing a color that is intense, vivid, or 'high' in saturation, not for physical slopes.
A single, intensely vibrant crimson strawberry, highly saturated, isolated on a clean white background.

Examples

Eligió un tono de rojo subido para las cortinas.

She chose a steep shade of red for the curtains.

El diseñador usó un color verde subido para el fondo.

The designer used an intense green color for the background.

Los precios de la vivienda han estado muy subidos este año.

Housing prices have been very high this year.

Adjective Agreement

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'subido' must match the noun it describes in gender (subida) and number (subidos/subidas).

Confusing Slopes and Colors

Learners often confuse 'pino' and 'pronunciado' when describing inclines. While both refer to steepness, 'pronunciado' is more general for sharp angles, whereas 'pino' specifically implies difficulty in climbing. Crucially, never use 'pino' or 'pronunciado' for colors; that's the job of 'subido'.

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