Which one should you use?
While bobo is a common way to describe someone as silly, tonto is another informal option used in everyday speech among friends and peers. If you want to imply someone is gullible or lacks worldly knowledge in a more formal way, you should use ingenuo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bobo is an informal and relatively mild way to call someone silly or foolish. It is not considered a harsh insult. For more formal contexts, use ingenuo. For common informal speech among peers, tonto is also used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many regions, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay, the terms boludo or boluda are used to convey the same idea of someone being foolish or silly.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the gender and number of the people being described. Use boba when describing a female, and bobos when describing a group of males or a mixed-gender group. Use bobas when describing a group of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbobo/
Did you know?
- The word bobo actually traces its roots back to the Latin word balbus, which meant 'stuttering' or 'stammering'.
- Spanish has a specific phrase quedarse bobo, which describes the feeling of being stunned or starstruck to the point of not knowing what to say.
- In certain contexts, calling a partner bobo or boba can be a term of endearment, similar to calling someone 'silly' in English during a flirtatious conversation.
Examples in context
- No seas bobo.Don't be silly.
- Ese hombre es un bobo.That man is a fool.
- Parece un poco bobo.He seems a bit foolish.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are laughing at a silly mistake Mateo made.
- Lucía¡Qué bobo eres, Mateo!You are so silly, Mateo!
- MateoLo siento, cometí un error.I'm sorry, I made a mistake.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, es divertido.Don't worry, it is funny.
- MateoGracias por no enojarte conmigo.Thanks for not being angry with me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bobo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bobo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
