How to Say "ugly" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “ugly” is “feo” — use 'feo' to describe a male person, animal, or any masculine noun that is physically unattractive..
feo
FAY-oh/ˈfe.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-ah/ˈfe.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'.)
Gender Agreement is Key
Related Translations
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