haciendo el tonto
/aθjendo el tonto/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "goofing around" is haciendo el tonto.
This phrase is used to describe spending time doing silly or pointless things instead of focusing on a task. You might also use the informal expression Andar de payaso/a to describe someone who is behaving like a clown or acting silly.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the gerund haciendo (doing) and el tonto (the fool).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form haciendo el tonto is the continuous form. To express the general action of goofing around, use the infinitive hacer el tonto.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθjendo el tonto/
Did you know?
- The word tonto may come from the Latin tondeo, meaning 'to shear'. This suggests that the original image of a fool was someone who had been shorn like a sheep.
- While it often means being silly, in many Latin American countries, haciendo el tonto can actually be a strategic way of saying someone is pretending to be ignorant to escape a responsibility.
- Depending on the speaker's tone, calling someone tonto can switch from being a harsh insult to a playful term of endearment.
Examples in context
- No te distraigas con tonterías, necesitas concentrarte en lo que estás haciendoDon't goof around with silly things, you need to focus on what you're doing
- Nos pasamos toda la tarde haciendo tonteríasWe spent the whole afternoon goofing around
- Deja de andar de payaso y ponte a trabajarStop goofing around and start working
- Estábamos bromando y riendo toda la nocheWe were goofing around and laughing all night
- Deja de jugar al tonto y céntrate en lo importanteStop goofing around and focus on what's important
- Ellos pierden el tiempoThey goof around
- Ella siempre está perdiendo el tiempo en lugar de estudiarShe is always goofing around instead of studying
- ¡Deja de hacer el tonto y ponte a trabajar!Stop goofing around and get to work!
- Deja de estar haciendo el tonto y trabaja.Stop goofing around and work.
- Los niños están haciendo el tonto en el parque.The children are goofing around in the park.
- No podemos terminar si seguimos haciendo el tonto.We can't finish if we keep goofing around.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are supposed to be cleaning the office.
- LucíaJavier, deja de estar haciendo el tonto.Javier, stop goofing around.
- JavierSolo estoy descansando un poco, Lucía.I'm just resting a little, Lucía.
- LucíaNo, parece que estás haciendo el tonto.No, it looks like you are goofing around.
- JavierEstá bien, me pongo a trabajar ahora.Fine, I'll get to work now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, tonto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
