él es feo
/el es feo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'he ugly' is translated into Spanish as él es feo.
This phrase is used to state that a male person is not attractive.
Which one should you use?
While él es feo is the direct way to say he is ugly, you can also use él es guapo to express the opposite, meaning he is handsome.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase él es feo consists of the subject pronoun él (he) and the verb es (is).
How do you pronounce it?
/el es feo/
Did you know?
- Some Spanish-speaking cultures avoid calling a baby 'beautiful' and may use feo ironically to ward off bad luck.
- While feo means 'ugly', Spanish speakers often use it to describe objects or weather as 'unpleasant' or 'bad', rather than just referring to physical appearance.
- The pronoun él actually traces its roots back to the Latin word 'ille', which originally meant 'that one' rather than just 'he'.
Examples in context
- No me gusta, él es feo.I don't like him, he is ugly.
- Lo siento, pero él es feo.I'm sorry, but he is ugly.
- Para mí, él es feo.To me, he is ugly.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a man they saw at a party.
- Alejandro¿Te gusta aquel chico?Do you like that guy?
- LucíaNo, la verdad es que él es feo.No, the truth is that he is ugly.
- Alejandro¡Qué lástima! Es muy amable.That's a pity! He is very kind.
- LucíaEso no cambia nada.That doesn't change anything.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, feo, él, CC BY-SA 4.0.
