How to Say "uneven" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “uneven” is “desigual” — use 'desigual' to describe physical surfaces that are not level or smooth, such as a floor or a road..
desigual
/deh-see-GWAHL//desiˈɡwal/
Examples
Ten cuidado, el suelo está desigual.
Be careful, the floor is uneven.
Es difícil correr en este terreno tan desigual.
It is hard to run on such bumpy terrain.
La pintura quedó desigual en la pared.
The paint looks patchy on the wall.
One Form for All
This word ends in a consonant, so it doesn't change for boys or girls. You say 'el camino desigual' and 'la calle desigual'—the ending stays exactly the same!
Don't add an 'a'
Mistake: “La mesa está desiguala.”
Correction: La mesa está desigual. Even though 'mesa' is feminine, words ending in 'l' usually don't add an 'a'.
irregular
/ee-rre-goo-lar//ireɣuˈlaɾ/
Examples
Caminar por el terreno irregular fue difícil.
Walking through the uneven terrain was difficult.
La pared tiene una superficie irregular.
The wall has a bumpy surface.
Su respiración era irregular después de correr.
His breathing was unsteady after running.
Adjective Placement
When describing physical objects like 'terreno' (ground), 'irregular' usually comes after the noun.
Using 'irregular' vs 'sucio'
Mistake: “La calle está irregular (meaning dirty).”
Correction: La calle está sucia. 'Irregular' only refers to the level or smoothness of the street, not how clean it is.
áspero
Examples
La lija es muy áspera para este mueble.
The sandpaper is too rough for this piece of furniture.
non
/nohn//non/
Examples
El número cinco es un número non.
The number five is an odd number.
Vivimos en el lado de la calle con los números nones.
We live on the side of the street with the odd numbers.
En este juego, si sale un resultado non, tú pierdes.
In this game, if an odd result comes up, you lose.
Odd vs. Even
Just like in English we have 'even' and 'odd,' Spanish uses 'par' and 'non' (or 'impar'). Use 'non' specifically when you want to say a number cannot be split into two equal whole parts.
Plural Form
To make 'non' plural, you add '-es' to get 'nones.' This is a common pattern for Spanish words that end in a consonant.
Non vs. No
Mistake: “Using 'non' to say 'no' in modern conversation.”
Correction: Use 'no' for everyday negation. 'Non' is almost strictly for numbers in modern Spanish.
Desigual vs. Irregular
Related Translations
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