Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Poor" in Spanish: pobre
pobre
Poor in Spanish is pobre. Say Es pobre for money hardship. ¡Pobre! can mean poor thing—sympathy, not always wealth.
How to pronounce pobre: audio and sound guideHistory class
El pueblo era pobre en esa época.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pobre
Say it
POH-breh
/ˈpo.βɾe/
POH-breh. Stress POH. Soft b between vowels.
"Poor" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| pobre | poor / poor thing Same form for masculine and feminine. | Same form for masculine and feminine. |
| pobres | poor (plural) Groups or families. | Groups or families. |
| ¡pobre! | poor thing! Sympathy, not always money. | Sympathy, not always money. |
| barrio pobre | poor neighborhood Place description—use carefully. | Place description—use carefully. |
How to use pobre in real life
- 1History class
El pueblo era pobre en esa época.
The town was poor in that era.
Pobre for hardship.
- 2Sympathy
¡Pobre! Se le rompió el teléfono.
Poor thing! His phone broke.
¡Pobre! = sympathy.
- 3News summary
Ayudan a familias pobres del área.
They help poor families in the area.
Pobres is plural.
Mistakes English speakers make with pobre
Incorrect: Ella es pobra.
Correct: Ella es pobre.
Pobre does not become pobra.
Incorrect: Es poor.
Correct: Es pobre.
Use pobre, not English poor.
Good to know
Good to knowPobre covers money hardship and soft sympathy (¡pobre!). Wealth labels can sting—prefer careful, kind wording. Latin American Spanish keeps pobre for both genders.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Reacting to a friend’s bad luck
ChatPal
Perdió el vuelo. ¡Pobre!
He missed the flight. Poor thing!
You
Sí, pobre. ¿Le escribimos?
Yes, poor guy. Shall we text him?
ChatPal
Claro. Un mensaje corto ayuda al pobre día.
Sure. A short message helps the poor day.
You
Mando un audio ahora.
I’ll send a voice note now.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Poor" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Poor" in Spanish
Does pobre change for gender?
No. Pobre stays pobre; plural is pobres.
What does ¡pobre! mean?
Often “poor thing”—sympathy, not always about money.
Poor families?
Familias pobres.
Is calling someone pobre rude?
Money labels can hurt. Soften or avoid unless context is clear.
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