Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| loco | /ˈloko/ | |
| colgado | /kolˈɡado/ | |
| sonado | /soˈnado/ | |
| tronado | /tɾoˈnado/ | |
| tocado | /toˈkado/ | |
| orate | /oˈɾate/ | |
| chalado | /t͡ʃaˈlado/ | |
| chiflado | /t͡ʃiˈflado/ | |
| desatinado | /desatinado/ (from spelling rules) | |
| creisi | /kɾeisi/ (from spelling rules) | Latin America |
The adjective is used to describe someone who is insane or demented. You can also use the related noun forms venático or ideoso to refer to an insane or eccentric person.
Which one should you use?
Various forms exist to express the idea of being crazy. While loco is the standard, other options include colgado, sonado, tronado, tocado, orate, chiflado and desatinado.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal or sophisticated tone, you can use insensato or insensata. If you want to be informal, you can use chiflado, chiflada or chalado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American dialects, the slang term creisi is used as a phonetic adaptation of the English word 'crazy'. In Puerto Rico, the informal term pirao is used to denote 'crazy'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective loco must agree in gender with the person being described. Use loca for females, locos for a group of males or a mixed-gender group and locas for a group consisting only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of loco is /ˈloko/.
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest that loco might have originated from an Andalusian Arabic word for 'stupid', which was then reinterpreted through Spanish grammar.
- The term colgado literally translates to 'hung' when used as a past participle, but it is used informally to mean 'crazy'.
- If you call someone tocado, you are using a metaphor that implies they have been 'touched' or 'struck', often implying an external force caused their madness.
Examples in context
- Está loco por ti.He's crazy about you.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is crazy about a person using loco.Tatoeba #1264243 by Shishir, translation #381793 by CH
- Esto es tan loco.This is so crazy.This sentence is useful for describing a situation that is crazy using loco.Tatoeba #4329338 by pchamorro, translation #2892243 by CK
- Está un poco loco.He's a little crazy.This sentence is useful for describing someone as being a little bit crazy using loco.Tatoeba #4798089 by Shishir, translation #4798662 by cairnhead
- El comportamiento de Juan fue tan loco que todos nos quedamos sorprendidos.Juan's behavior was so crazy that we were all surprised.
- La decisión de la empresa de invertir en ese proyecto fue completamente insensata.The company's decision to invest in that project was completely crazy.
- La mujer parecía desquiciada y hablaba incoherentemente durante todo el tiempo que estuve allí.The woman seemed crazy and spoke incoherently the entire time I was there.
- ¡No hagas eso, estás chiflado!Don't do that, you're crazy!
- Mi hermano es un majareta. Siempre hace cosas extrañas.My brother is crazy. He always does strange things.
- Ese tipo está totalmente pirao, no le hagas caso.That guy is completely crazy, don't pay attention to him.
- Quédate lejos de Pedro, está loco de atar.Stay away from Pedro, he's crazy.
- Ese carro está chévere, es una locura.That car is awesome, it's crazy.
- 207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are talking about a strange person in the park.
- Sofía¿Viste al hombre del parque?Did you see the man in the park?
- AlejandroSí, parece que está loco.Yes, he seems to be crazy.
- SofíaEs un loco total.He is a complete crazy person.
- AlejandroEs verdad, es muy extraño.It's true, he is very strange.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crazy” translations and entries loco, colgado, sonado, tronado, tocado, orate, chalado, chiflado, desatinado, 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 colgado, loco, sonado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
