empanada mental
/empanada mental/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "brain fart" can be translated into Spanish as empanada mental. Wiktionary also lists diarrea mental and desinteligencia.
Meaning: confusion of ideas (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| empanada mental | /empanada mental/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| diarrea mental | /djarea mental/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| desinteligencia | /desintelixenθja/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /desintelixensja/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
These terms are used to describe a confusion of ideas.
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter diarrea mental or desinteligencia.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make empanada mental plural, both the noun and the adjective must change to empanadas mentales.
How do you pronounce it?
/empanada mental/
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'brain fart', which focuses on the 'gas' or 'burst', empanada mental evokes the image of the brain being 'wrapped' or 'stuck' like a pastry.
- While empanada mental is a lighthearted way to describe a slip of the mind, the phrase diarrea mental is often used in a different context to describe someone who speaks incessantly without making any sense.
- The word diarrea in diarrea mental is a loanword from Ancient Greek, combining the elements for 'through' and 'to flow'.
Examples in context
- Tuve un despiste temporal y olvidé el nombre de la película que te recomendé.I had a temporary distraction and forgot the name of the movie I recommended to you.
- Perdona, tuve un momento de despiste. ¿Me podrías repetir lo que dijiste?Sorry, I had a moment of distraction. Could you repeat what you said?
- ¡Ups! Se me fue la olla por un momento y olvidé mi cita contigo.Oops! I had a brain fart for a moment and forgot our appointment.
- Tuve una empanada mental y olvidé la clave.I had a brain fart and forgot the password.
- Perdona, me dio una empanada mental con tu nombre.Sorry, I had a brain fart with your name.
- Fue solo una empanada mental, ya me acordé.It was just a brain fart, I remember now.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are trying to solve a simple math problem.
- Lucía¿Cuánto es dos más dos, Alejandro?How much is two plus two, Alejandro?
- AlejandroLo siento, Lucía, tengo una empanada mental.I'm sorry, Lucía, I'm having a brain fart.
- Lucía¡Es una pregunta muy fácil!It is a very easy question!
- AlejandroYa lo sé, mi cerebro se bloqueó.I know, my brain just blocked.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brain fart” translations and entries desinteligencia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desinteligencia, diarrea, empanada, mental, CC BY-SA 4.0.
