Inklingo

How to Say "unreliable" in Spanish

The Spanish word forunreliableis informalB1 level.

English → SpanishB1
adjectiveB1
referring to a person who doesn't keep their word
A person waiting at a park bench looking at an empty space where someone should be.

Examples

No confíes en él para el proyecto; es muy informal.

Don't trust him with the project; he is very unreliable.

Siento haber sido tan informal con nuestra cita.

I'm sorry for being so flaky with our date.

Es un trabajador informal y siempre llega tarde.

He is an unreliable worker and always arrives late.

Using 'Ser' vs 'Estar'

Use 'ser' with this meaning because you are describing a person's character trait or habit.

The False Friend Trap

Mistake:English speakers often only think this means 'not formal'.

Correction: In Spanish, calling someone 'informal' is a criticism of their character, meaning they don't keep promises.

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