Estaba siendo perezoso
/estaba sjendo peɾeθoso/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I was being lazy" is translated as Estaba siendo perezoso.
This phrase is used to describe a period of time when someone intentionally avoided work or effort.
Which one should you use?
There is an important distinction between describing a temporary behavior and a permanent trait. Use Estaba siendo perezoso to describe a specific temporary behavior or period of time, whereas Era perezoso would be used to describe a permanent personality trait.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, the colloquial expression Estaba de vago is a very common way to say one is being lazy or loafing around.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on the gender of the speaker. Use Estaba siendo perezoso if the speaker is male and Estaba siendo perezosa if the speaker is female.
Did you know?
- The adjective perezoso is used as the standard name for the sloth mammal in Spanish.
- The word flojo is used in Latin America to mean lazy, despite its primary dictionary definition being 'loose' as in a loose knot.
- If you want to say you were 'being lazy' in a very casual way in Mexico, you might say andaba de flojo, using the verb 'andar' instead of 'estar' to emphasize the duration of the behavior.
Examples in context
- Durante la reunión, estaba siendo perezoso y no realicé mi trabajo correctamente.During the meeting, I was being lazy and I did not perform my work correctly.
- Me regañaron por estar siendo vago/a en el trabajo.They scolded me for being lazy at work.
- Estaba siendo perezoso y no quería estudiar.I was being lazy and I didn't want to study.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about why he didn't finish his chores.
- AlejandroNo terminé el trabajo porque estaba siendo perezoso.I didn't finish the work because I was being lazy.
- ElenaDeberías haber empezado más temprano, Alejandro.You should have started earlier, Alejandro.
- AlejandroTienes razón, ahora voy a hacerlo.You are right, I am going to do it now.
- ElenaMuy bien, así terminaremos más rápido.Very well, that way we will finish faster.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
