chafa
Mexico, informal
The neutral word is barato. Slang adds a sense of poor quality, such as chafa in Mexico and cutre in Spain.
Meaning: cheap or poor quality (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| chafa | Mexico, informal |
| barato | neutral |
| cutre | Spain, informal |
Something chafa is cheap and badly made. Something cutre is shabby or low class, like a run-down bar.
Which one should you use?
Barato only says the price is low and can be a compliment. Chafa and cutre are criticism.
Is it said differently in some regions?
For a stingy person, Mexicans say codo. That describes a person, not a price.
Did you know?
- The word chafa is used all over Mexico, and many people trace it to the verb chafear.
Examples in context
- Ese reloj es chafa, se rompió luego.That watch is cheap, it broke quickly.
- El hotel era un poco cutre.The hotel was a bit shabby.
- Esta camisa es barata y buena.This shirt is cheap and good.
Example conversation
Mónica shows her new bag to her sister Elena in Mexico City.
- ElenaQué bolsa tan bonita, ¿cuánto costó?What a pretty bag, how much was it?
- MónicaBarata, pero no es chafa.Cheap, but not poor quality.
- ElenaSe ve muy bien.It looks great.
