soy terrible
/soi terible/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am terrible" is translated into Spanish as soy terrible.
The phrase soy terrible is used to describe oneself as a bad or wicked person. It is a statement about one's own character or nature.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between describing a person's character and describing a temporary state. Use soy terrible to describe a permanent character trait or a wicked nature. If you want to say that you are in a terrible state or feeling terrible at a specific moment, you would use estoy terrible instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb soy (from the verb ser), which is used in Spanish to express essential characteristics and identity.
Did you know?
- If you want to say 'I am terrible' meaning 'I am very bad at a skill', like playing piano, you should avoid soy terrible. Instead, use soy malísimo to avoid sounding like you are describing your soul.
- While soy terrible describes a wicked character, in many Spanish-speaking countries, soy un terror is used colloquially to describe someone who is a handful or a mischief-maker, especially when talking about children.
- While English speakers use 'terrible' to mean 'very bad' in almost any context, using soy terrible to mean 'I am a bad person' is quite heavy and dramatic in Spanish. It sounds more like a confession from a villain in a soap opera than a casual remark.
Examples in context
- Hoy ha sido un día muy difícil, me siento fatal.Today has been a very difficult day, I feel terrible.
- Hoy me han dado una mala noticia, me siento fatal.Today I received bad news, I feel terrible.
- Soy una persona terrible.I am a terrible person.
- A veces soy terrible.Sometimes I am terrible.
Example conversation
Javier admits to a mistake to María.
- JavierOlvidé tu cumpleaños, soy terrible.I forgot your birthday, I am terrible.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, Javier.Don't worry, Javier.
- JavierPero soy terrible como amigo.But I am terrible as a friend.
- MaríaNo digas eso, todo está bien.Don't say that, everything is fine.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
