Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| de mal genio | /de mal xenjo/ (from spelling rules) | |
| mañoso | /maˈɲoso/ | |
| malhumorado | /malumoˈɾado/ | |
| gruñón | /ɡɾuˈɲon/ | |
| de mal humor | /de mal umoɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| moshudo | /mosudo/ (from spelling rules) | Guatemala |
These terms are used to describe someone who is grouchy, irritable or easily upset. Malhumorado is frequently used to describe a person's general disposition or a specific instance of being irritable. Gruñón refers to someone who is grumpy or grouchy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase de mal genio literally translates to 'of bad temper'.
Which one should you use?
While de mal genio often describes a person's inherent temperament, de mal humor is more commonly used to describe a temporary state of being in a bad mood.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Moshudo is a regional term used in Guatemala to describe someone who is cranky or irritable.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective gruñón must agree in gender and number with the person being described, such as gruñona for a female or gruñones for a group.
Did you know?
- While mañoso can mean 'cranky' in Guatemala, it is more commonly used in other Spanish-speaking countries to mean 'skillful' or 'handy'.
- The word genio in the phrase de mal genio has an interesting dual history, as it is linked to both the Latin word for 'spirit' and the Arabic word for 'jinn'.
- Spanish uses the word humor in malhumorado, but while English speakers use 'humor' for comedy, in Spanish it refers more strictly to a person's state of mind.
Examples in context
- Esta de mal humor.He's cranky.This sentence is useful for describing someone's current mood using de mal humor.Tatoeba #8583588 by Orphneus, translation #8476385 by CH
- Él estuvo muy malhumorado anoche.He was so cranky last night.This sentence shows how to use malhumorado to describe a state in the past.Tatoeba #1637561 by teskmon, translation #244885 by CK
- Es fácil conseguir la cabra del malhumorado burlándose de él.It is easy to get the cranky man's goat by teasing him.This sentence demonstrates the use of malhumorado when describing a person.Tatoeba #10199624 by johannessleon, translation #20304 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Mi jefe ha estado muy irritable últimamente.My boss has been very cranky lately.
- Últimamente, mi abuela está de mal humor todo el tiempo.Lately, my grandmother is cranky all the time.
- No le hables ahora, está muy gruñón.Don't talk to him now, he's very cranky.
- Mi hermana siempre está de mala leche en las mañanas.My sister is always cranky in the mornings.
- Está de mal humor como un oso después de hibernar.He/she is cranky like a bear after hibernation.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking about their boss in the office.
- MaríaNo hables con el jefe, está de mal genio.Don't talk to the boss, he is cranky.
- DanielLo noto, parece que no durmió nada.I noticed, he looks like he didn't sleep at all.
- MaríaSí, Daniel, siempre se pone de mal genio los lunes.Yes, Daniel, he always gets cranky on Mondays.
- DanielEntonces esperaré hasta mañana para pedirle el permiso.Then I will wait until tomorrow to ask him for the permit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cranky” translations and entries mañoso, malhumorado, gruñón, 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 de, genio, mal, mañoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
