honesto
/oˈnesto/
The English word honest translates to Spanish as honesto. Wiktionary also lists sincero.
Meaning: scrupulous with regard to telling the truth (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| honesto | /oˈnesto/ |
| sincero | /sinˈθeɾo/ /sinˈseɾo/ |
The adjective is used to describe someone who is scrupulous with regard to telling the truth.
Which one should you use?
While honesto implies moral integrity and truthfulness, sincero is often used to describe someone who is frank or outspoken about their feelings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term sincero/a may imply the meaning of "direct" or "frank," and the noun sinceridad is sometimes used to refer to "honesty."
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For feminine nouns, use honesta. For masculine plural nouns, use honestos and for feminine plural nouns, use honestas.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈnesto/
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American contexts, calling someone muy sincero can be a polite way of suggesting they are tactless or lack a filter.
- The word sincero comes from the Latin sincērus, which was historically used to describe things that were pure or unmixed.
- While English speakers use 'honest' to describe truthfulness, a Spanish speaker describing a person as honesto might be perceived as praising their professional integrity or dignity rather than just their tendency to tell the truth.
Examples in context
- Él es muy honesto.He is very honest.This sentence is useful for describing a person's character using honesto.Tatoeba #515891 by Shishir, translation #292122 by CK
- Tom no fue honesto.Tom wasn't honest.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of honesty in the past using honesto.Tatoeba #2592856 by hayastan, translation #2239893 by CK
- Él no es nada honesto.He is not honest at all.This sentence is useful for emphasizing a total lack of honesty using honesto.Tatoeba #588958 by Shishir, translation #292911 by CK
- Ella es una persona sincera y siempre dice la verdad.She is an honest person and always tells the truth.
- Necesitamos un abogado honesto para este caso complicado.We need an honest lawyer for this complicated case.
- Mi amigo es muy sincero, siempre me dice la verdad.My friend is very honest, he always tells me the truth.
- Eres una persona honesta y confiable.You are an honest and trustworthy person.
- Mi hermano es sincero y nunca miente.My brother is honest and never lies.
- Ella es honesta con sus opiniones.She is honest with her opinions.
- 127 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing a person's character.
- MateoÉl es un hombre muy honesto.He is a very honest man.
- LucíaSí, siempre es honesto con nosotros.Yes, he is always honest with us.
- MateoEs importante ser un empleado honesto.It is important to be an honest employee.
- LucíaTienes razón, la honestidad es clave.You are right, honesty is key.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honest” translations and entries honesto, sincero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries honesto, sincero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
