idiota
/iˈdjota/feminine, masculine
The Spanish word for idiot is idiota.
idiota refers to a person of low general intelligence. It is used in casual conversations to mean idiot.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, common alternatives for idiot include pendejo/a and tarado/a. In Argentina, boludo/a can be used informally to mean idiot or jerk.
How does it change in a sentence?
idiota is an invariable noun in terms of spelling for both masculine and feminine genders. To form the plural, add -s to get idiotas.
How do you pronounce it?
/iˈdjota/
Did you know?
- The word idiota comes from the Ancient Greek word idiṓtēs, which originally referred to a 'layman' or a private citizen who did not take part in public affairs.
- In certain dialects, adding the diminutive idiotita does not make the insult cuter, but can instead make it sound more condescending and mocking.
- The word idiota shares a distant linguistic root with the English word 'idiosyncrasy', which refers to a person's unique or peculiar characteristics.
Examples in context
- Él no es idiota.He's not an idiot.This sentence shows how to use idiota in a negative statement.Tatoeba #1237093 by Shishir, translation #840139 by papabear
- ¿Eres idiota o qué?Are you an idiot or what?This sentence demonstrates a common rhetorical question using idiota.Tatoeba #2680839 by Mavry, translation #2681451 by iainmb93
- ¡Qué idiota que soy!What an idiot I am!This sentence shows how to use idiota when expressing self-frustration.Tatoeba #943846 by hayastan, translation #410599 by CK
- No seas tan estúpidoDon't be so stupid.
- Esa fue una idea muy tontaThat was a very silly idea.
- No seas idiotaDon't be an idiot.
- Eres un imbécilYou are an imbecile.
- 99 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofia are discussing a bad decision a friend made.
- JavierNo puedo creer que hiciera eso.I can't believe he did that.
- SofíaEs un idiota total.He is a total idiot.
- JavierTienes razón, fue una mala idea.You are right, it was a bad idea.
- SofíaSí, es el idiota del grupo.Yes, he is the idiot of the group.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries idiota, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idiota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
