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How to Say "unimportant" in Spanish

English → Spanish

insignificante

een-seeg-nee-fee-KAHN-tehinsiɣnifiˈkante

adjectiveB1
Use this when something has so little importance or size that it is barely noticeable or has no real impact.
A tiny, plain pebble sitting next to a large, sparkling gemstone.

Examples

No te preocupes por eso, es un detalle insignificante.

Don't worry about that, it's an insignificant detail.

Me sentí insignificante ante la inmensidad del océano.

I felt insignificant before the vastness of the ocean.

One Form for All

This adjective ends in '-e', which means it stays the same regardless of whether you are describing a masculine or feminine noun.

Don't add 'a'

Mistake: “una cosa insignificanta”

Correction: una cosa insignificante

irrelevante

ee-rreh-leh-BAHN-tehireleˈβante

adjectiveB1
Choose this when a piece of information or a fact has no connection or bearing on the matter at hand or the decision being made.
A colorful storybook illustration showing a single, bright blue button on a plain table, ignored by a person who is busy fixing a large, complex wooden toy.

Examples

Ese detalle es irrelevante para nuestra decisión final.

That detail is irrelevant to our final decision.

No te preocupes por eso; es un tema totalmente irrelevante.

Don't worry about that; it's a completely unimportant topic.

Sus opiniones personales son irrelevantes en este juicio.

His personal opinions are insignificant in this trial.

One Form for All Genders

This word doesn't change based on whether you're talking about a man or a woman (or a masculine or feminine noun). It always ends in 'e'.

Placement After the Noun

Like most adjectives in Spanish, 'irrelevante' usually comes after the person or thing you are describing, such as 'un dato irrelevante' (an irrelevant piece of data).

Watch the Spelling

Mistake: “irrelevant”

Correction: irrelevante

Don't change the ending to 'o' or 'a'

Mistake: “La información es irrelevanta.”

Correction: La información es irrelevante. (Words ending in -e don't switch to -a for feminine things.)

trivial

tree-bee-AHLtɾiˈβjal

adjectiveB1
Use this word to describe something that is of little value, importance, or seriousness, often implying it's not worth discussing or worrying about.
A tiny single pebble sitting alone on a vast empty beach.

Examples

No deberías discutir por cosas triviales.

You shouldn't argue about trivial things.

Parece un problema trivial, pero es difícil de resolver.

It seems like a trivial problem, but it's hard to solve.

En la ciencia, ninguna observación es realmente trivial.

In science, no observation is truly trivial.

One size fits all

This word doesn't change based on gender. You can use 'trivial' for both masculine and feminine words: 'un error trivial' (a trivial error) or 'una duda trivial' (a trivial doubt).

How to make it plural

Since this word ends in a consonant (L), you add '-es' to make it plural: 'detalles triviales'.

Confusing it with 'Trivia'

Mistake: “Using 'trivial' to mean the noun 'trivia' (facts/knowledge).”

Correction: In Spanish, 'trivial' is an adjective (describing word). If you want to talk about trivia questions or facts, use 'curiosidades' or 'datos irrelevantes'.

Insignificante vs. Irrelevante

Learners often confuse 'insignificante' and 'irrelevante'. Remember that 'insignificante' often implies a lack of size or impact, while 'irrelevante' specifically means unrelated to the topic or decision.

Related Translations

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