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How to Say "vain" in Spanish

English → Spanish

engreído

adjectiveB1informal
Use 'engreído' when describing a person who is excessively proud of their appearance or accomplishments, often to the point of arrogance.

Examples

Él es un tipo muy engreído y no escucha a nadie.

He is a very conceited guy and doesn't listen to anyone.

vano

VAH-nohˈba.no

adjectiveB1
Use 'vano' to describe hopes, efforts, or attempts that are pointless, useless, or futile, leading to no result.
A small person straining to push a huge, grey stone block up an extremely steep hill, illustrating a futile effort.

Examples

Todos sus ruegos fueron vanos.

All his pleas were futile/useless.

Trabajamos en vano, el proyecto fue cancelado.

We worked in vain (for nothing), the project was cancelled.

Ella es muy vana; solo se mira en el espejo.

She is very vain; she only looks at herself in the mirror.

Sus palabras eran vanas y superficiales.

His words were empty (vain) and superficial.

Gender and Number Match

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'vano' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'vano' for masculine singular nouns (el esfuerzo vano), 'vana' for feminine singular (la esperanza vana), 'vanos' for masculine plural, and 'vanas' for feminine plural.

Using 'vano' instead of 'vacío'

Mistake: “La caja es vana.”

Correction: La caja está vacía. ('Vano' describes lack of result or purpose, not physical emptiness. Use 'vacío' for something physically empty.)

inútil

adjectiveB1
Use 'inútil' to describe something, often an action or object, that is completely useless or serves no practical purpose.

Examples

La contraseña era tan larga que la memorización resultó inútil.

The password was so long that memorizing it turned out to be useless.

vano

VAH-nohˈba.no

adjectiveB2
Use 'vano' when describing a person who is excessively conceited and self-absorbed, focusing only on themselves and their image.
A small person straining to push a huge, grey stone block up an extremely steep hill, illustrating a futile effort.

Examples

Ella es muy vana; solo se mira en el espejo.

She is very vain; she only looks at herself in the mirror.

Todos sus ruegos fueron vanos.

All his pleas were futile/useless.

Trabajamos en vano, el proyecto fue cancelado.

We worked in vain (for nothing), the project was cancelled.

Sus palabras eran vanas y superficiales.

His words were empty (vain) and superficial.

Gender and Number Match

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'vano' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'vano' for masculine singular nouns (el esfuerzo vano), 'vana' for feminine singular (la esperanza vana), 'vanos' for masculine plural, and 'vanas' for feminine plural.

Using 'vano' instead of 'vacío'

Mistake: “La caja es vana.”

Correction: La caja está vacía. ('Vano' describes lack of result or purpose, not physical emptiness. Use 'vacío' for something physically empty.)

Pride vs. Futility

Learners often confuse 'engreído' and 'vano' when describing a person. Remember, 'engreído' specifically refers to pride in appearance or achievements, while 'vano' (at B2 level) describes a more general self-absorption and vanity. 'Vano' and 'inútil' are for actions or efforts that fail.

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