Estoy oxidado
/estoi oɡsidado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am rusty" is translated into Spanish as Estoy oxidado.
Used to say that one's skill in a particular area has declined due to a lack of practice.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "I am rusty". The word oxidado means "oxidized" or "rusted".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb estar rather than ser because being rusty is considered a temporary state or condition rather than an inherent characteristic.
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific word desoxidar, which means 'to remove rust'. A learner can use necesito desoxidarme to jokingly say they need to 'de-rust' themselves through practice.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, describing a person as oxidado can also be a humorous way to call them 'old' or 'outdated'.
- To say you are 'rusty' specifically regarding your ability to speak a language, you might say se me ha oxidado la lengua, which translates to 'my tongue has rusted'.
Examples in context
- Hace tiempo que no practico, así que estoy fuera de prácticaIt's been a while since I practiced, so I am out of practice
- He estado ocupado con otros proyectos y no lo hablo bien desde hace tiempoI have been busy with other projects and haven't been speaking it well for a while
- Lo siento, estoy un poco falto/a de práctica con el españolI'm sorry, I am a little rusty with my Spanish
- No he practicado tenis, así que estoy oxidado.I haven't practiced tennis, so I am rusty.
- Si no uso el francés, estoy oxidado.If I don't use French, I am rusty.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing playing a board game.
- María¿Quieres jugar ajedrez conmigo, Mateo?Do you want to play chess with me, Mateo?
- MateoMe encantaría, pero estoy oxidado.I would love to, but I am rusty.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, jugaremos despacio.Don't worry, we will play slowly.
- MateoGracias, María, eres muy amable.Thanks, María, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
