cliché
/kliˈt͡ʃe/
The Spanish word for cliche is cliché.
cliché refers to an idea or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer fresh or original. You can also use the phrase lugar común to describe a cliché or a trite expression.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the informal term tópico trillado is used to refer to a cliché.
How does it change in a sentence?
cliché is a masculine noun, so you would say un cliché. To form the plural, simply add an 's' to the end to get clichés.
How do you pronounce it?
/kliˈtʃe/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use the word tópico as a synonym for 'cliché', but in English, a 'topic' is simply a subject. Using tópico to mean a stereotype can lead to confusion in academic or formal conversations.
- The word cliché comes from the French word for a printing plate that made a 'clicking' sound during the casting process.
- The Spanish term lugar común literally translates to 'common place', an expression rooted in the ancient rhetorical tradition of ideas belonging to a public space.
Examples in context
- Es mejor evitar los lugares comunes en tu discurso público.It's better to avoid clichés in your public speech.
- El autor utilizó el tópico de la chica pobre que se convierte en princesa en su novela.The author used the cliché of the poor girl who becomes a princess in their novel.
- Déjate de frases hechas y piensa en algo original.Stop using clichés and think of something original.
- Esa película está llena de lugares comunes.That movie is full of clichés.
- Ese final de la película es un cliché.That movie ending is a cliché.
- No uses ese cliché en tu discurso.Don't use that cliché in your speech.
- La canción tiene un cliché muy aburrido.The song has a very boring cliché.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a book they just read.
- Daniel¿Te gustó la historia de amor?Did you like the love story?
- SofíaNo, me pareció un cliché total.No, I thought it was a total cliché.
- DanielEs cierto, es muy predecible.It's true, it is very predictable.
- SofíaExacto, le faltó originalidad.Exactly, it lacked originality.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cliché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cliché, CC BY-SA 4.0.
