Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions

"Ugly" in Spanish: feo/a

feo/a

Say it: FEH-oh / FEH-ahadjective/ˈfeo/

Ugly is feo for masculine and fea for feminine. Match the noun: un color feo, una idea fea. Feo can sound blunt about people, so soften with no es muy bonito when you need tact.

About a color

Ese verde se ve feo aquí.
That green looks ugly here.
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How to pronounce feo/a

Say it

FEH-oh / FEH-ah

/ˈfeo/

FEH-oh / FEH-ah. Stress FEH. Keep feo short; both vowels are clear.

"Ugly" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
feo / feaugly

Default adjective; agree with gender.

horriblehorrible; ugly

Stronger negative reaction than mild feo.

feúcho / feúchakind of ugly

Softer, slightly joking tone.

no es bonitoit's not pretty

Polite dodge instead of blunt feo.

How to use feo/a in real life

  1. 1About a color

    Ese verde se ve feo aquí.

    That green looks ugly here.

    Feo agrees with verde/color (masculine).

  2. 2Weather

    Qué día tan feo para salir.

    What an ugly day to go out.

    Feo can describe grim weather.

  3. 3Design talk

    El logo viejo era feo.

    The old logo was ugly.

    Feo is blunt but clear for objects.

Mistakes English speakers make with feo/a

Incorrect: Una casa feo.

Correct: Una casa fea.

Casa is feminine. Use fea; keep feo for masculine nouns.

Incorrect: El diseño es fea.

Correct: El diseño es feo.

Diseño is masculine. Use feo with it.

Good to know

Calling a person feo to their face is harsh in most settings. For objects, weather, and designs, feo is ordinary and clear. Soften people-talk; avoid blunt feo with no me convence.

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Redesigning a flyer

  1. ChatPal

    Este título se ve feo con el fondo.

    This title looks ugly with the background.

  2. You

    Sí, queda feo. Cambiemos el color.

    Yes, it looks ugly. Let's change the color.

  3. ChatPal

    Mejor. Ahora no se ve tan feo.

    Better. Now it doesn't look so ugly.

  4. You

    Listo. Lo imprimimos así.

    Done. We'll print it like this.

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"Ugly" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Ugly" in Spanish

Feo or fea?

Feo with masculine nouns, fea with feminine. Match the noun.

Is feo rude about people?

It can be blunt. Soften or avoid feo about people you do not know well.

How do you pronounce feo?

FEH-oh with stress on FEH. Fea ends in ah.

What is a softer option than feo?

No es bonito or no me gusta often sound kinder than feo.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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