How to Say "ugly" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “ugly” is “feo” — use 'feo' when describing something or someone that is physically unattractive or not pleasing to the eye, often in a general sense.
feo
FAY-ohˈfe.o
Examples
Ese perro es muy feo, pero tiene un corazón de oro.
That dog is very ugly, but it has a heart of gold.
La casa nueva es moderna, pero la fachada es un poco fea.
The new house is modern, but the facade is a little ugly.
Gender Agreement
Since 'feo' is an adjective, its ending must change to match the gender and number of the noun it describes: 'el chico feo' (masculine singular), 'la mesa fea' (feminine singular), 'los zapatos feos' (masculine plural).
Using Estar vs. Ser
Mistake: “El coche está feo.”
Correction: El coche es feo. Use 'ser' (to be) when describing a permanent or essential characteristic like appearance.
fea
FEH-ahˈfe.a
Examples
La pintura que compró es realmente fea.
The painting she bought is really ugly.
Tuvimos una experiencia muy fea en el viaje.
We had a very nasty/bad experience on the trip.
¡Qué fea está la tormenta!
What a bad storm!
Gender Agreement
'Fea' is the feminine singular form. Remember that adjectives must match the noun they describe: use 'fea' for singular, feminine nouns (like 'chica' or 'mesa').
Placement
Like most Spanish adjectives, 'fea' usually comes immediately after the noun it describes: 'la casa fea' (the ugly house).
Mixing Genders
Mistake: “El perro es fea.”
Correction: El perro es feo. (The dog is masculine, so the adjective must be 'feo'.)
horroroso
oh-roh-ROH-sohoroˈɾoso
Examples
Ese cuadro es horroroso, no me gusta nada.
That painting is hideous; I don't like it at all.
Llevaba unas gafas horrorosas que no le quedaban bien.
He was wearing some hideous glasses that didn't suit him.
La decoración de la fiesta era horrorosa y muy anticuada.
The party decorations were hideous and very old-fashioned.
Matching the word to the object
This word must change its ending to match what you are describing. Use 'horroroso' for masculine items and 'horrorosa' for feminine items.
Where to put the word
Usually, you place 'horroroso' after the thing it describes, like 'un coche horroroso.' If you put it before the word, it sounds much more dramatic.
Pronouncing the H
Mistake: “Pronouncing it like 'Horroroso' with an English H sound.”
Correction: In Spanish, the 'H' is always silent. Start the word with the 'O' sound: /oh-roh-ROH-soh/.
Confusing 'feo/a' with 'horroroso'
Related Translations
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