grandullón
/ɡɾanduʝon/from spelling rules
The English phrase "big guy" can be translated into Spanish as grandullón.
This term is used to describe a person's physical stature, specifically someone who is physically large or tall, rather than referring to their character or importance.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Grandullón is an informal way to describe a large person and is often used in an affectionate or slightly teasing manner. For a more formal way to describe a large or stout person, you should use persona corpulenta.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its ending to refer to different genders: use grandullón for a male and grandullona for a female.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡɾanduʝon/
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'big guy', which can sometimes imply power or intimidation, grandullón often carries a connotation of being gentle or slow.
- The word corpulento, used as a formal alternative, shares the same Latin root as the English word 'corporeal', referring specifically to the 'corpus' or body.
- The suffix -ullón in grandullón is an augmentative that can add a touch of clumsiness or awkwardness to the description of a person's size.
Examples in context
- El Sr. González es un hombre grande e importante en nuestra empresa.Mr. González is a big and important guy in our company.
- Oye, ¡ese tipo grande es un buen jugador de fútbol!Hey, that big guy is a good soccer player!
- ¡Mira ese chico grande! Seguro que gana todos los concursos de fuerza.Look at that big guy! I bet he wins all the strength competitions.
- Ese grandullón juega al baloncesto.That big guy plays basketball.
- Es un grandullón, pero es muy amable.He is a big guy, but he is very kind.
- Necesitamos un grandullón para mover este sofá.We need a big guy to move this sofa.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking for a security guard at a concert.
- Lucía¿Dónde está el guardia de seguridad?Where is the security guard?
- AlejandroEs aquel grandullón junto a la puerta.It is that big guy next to the door.
- LucíaAh, sí, ahora lo veo.Ah, yes, I see him now.
- AlejandroEs imposible no verlo.It is impossible not to see him.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
