duro de oído
/duɾo de oido/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'hard of hearing' is translated into Spanish as duro de oído. Wiktionary also lists teniente.
Meaning: having difficulty hearing (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| duro de oído | /duɾo de oido/ (from spelling rules) | |
| teniente | /teˈnjente/ | Spain |
The phrase is used to describe someone who has difficulty hearing. In more professional or sensitive contexts, you may choose to use more formal expressions such as persona con discapacidad auditiva (person with hearing impairment) or persona con problemas de audición (person with hearing problems).
What does it mean word for word?
The expression duro de oído literally translates to 'hard of ear'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain parts of Spain, the colloquial term teniente is used to describe someone who is hard of hearing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a group of people, the phrase changes to duros de oído to reflect the plural.
Did you know?
- The colloquial term teniente is the same word used for a 'lieutenant' in the military.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, using duro de oído is often seen as a gentle or euphemistic way to describe aging rather than a medical diagnosis.
- The word duro in duro de oído shares an ancient root with the English word 'durable', both tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'long' or 'lasting'.
Examples in context
- Mi abuelo es un poco duro de oído.My grandfather is a bit hard of hearing.This sentence shows how to use duro de oído when describing a family member.Tatoeba #1685467 by teskmon, translation #65095 by CK
- Mi padre es tan viejo que es duro de oído.My father is so old that he is hard of hearing.This sentence demonstrates using duro de oído to link a person's age to their hearing ability.Tatoeba #678832 by Shishir, translation #251725 by CM
- En el trabajo, siempre debemos considerar las necesidades de las personas con discapacidad auditiva.At work, we should always consider the needs of people who are hard of hearing.
- Mi abuela es una persona con dificultades auditivas, así que debemos hablar más lento y claro cuando nos comunicamos con ella.My grandmother is hard of hearing, so we need to speak slower and clearer when communicating with her.
- No es que sea sordo, es que es un poco duro de oído.It's not that he is deaf, he's just a bit hard of hearing.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about a relative at a family dinner.
- Mateo¿Repites eso? No te he oído bien.Can you repeat that? I didn't hear you well.
- ElenaNo te preocupes, Mateo, sabes que eres algo duro de oído.Don't worry, Mateo, you know you are a bit hard of hearing.
- MateoEs verdad, a veces me cuesta entender.It's true, sometimes I struggle to understand.
- ElenaTe hablaré más despacio la próxima vez.I will speak more slowly to you next time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hard of hearing” translations and entries teniente, 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, duro, oído, teniente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
