Inklingo

How to Say "unfair" in Spanish

English → Spanish

injusto

een-HOO-stoh/inˈxusto/

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'injusto' when referring to situations that are generally unfair, unjust, or inequitable.
A colorful storybook illustration showing two children sitting side-by-side. One child has a huge slice of chocolate cake, while the other child has only a tiny, minuscule crumb of cake, depicting unequal distribution.

Examples

Pienso que es injusto que solo yo tenga que limpiar la cocina.

I think it's unfair that only I have to clean the kitchen.

El castigo fue injusto porque él no había hecho nada malo.

The punishment was unjust because he hadn't done anything wrong.

La ley parece injusta para los ciudadanos más pobres.

The law seems unfair to the poorest citizens.

Changing the Ending

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'injusto' changes its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'injusta' for feminine words (la regla injusta) and add 's' for plural (los castigos injustos).

sucio

SOO-thee-oh (Spain) / SOO-see-oh (Latin America)/ˈsu.θjo/

AdjectiveB1Informal/General
Use 'sucio' when describing actions or behavior that are dishonest, unethical, or involve cheating, especially in games or competitions.
A cartoon character's hand secretly sliding a single playing card from under a table while looking around nervously, symbolizing deceit or dishonesty.

Examples

Ganó el partido con un juego sucio y muchas trampas.

He won the match with dirty play and lots of cheating.

Ese dinero sucio proviene de actividades ilegales.

That dirty money comes from illegal activities.

No hagas comentarios sucios delante de los niños.

Don't make indecent comments in front of the children.

Injusto vs. Sucio

Learners often confuse 'injusto' and 'sucio' by using 'injusto' for dishonest actions. Remember, 'injusto' is about fairness in a broader sense, while 'sucio' specifically implies dishonesty or cheating.

Related Translations

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