barato
/baˈɾato/
The Spanish word for inexpensive is barato.
barato is an adjective used to describe something that is reasonable in price.
Meaning: reasonable in price (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, barato must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use barata for feminine singular nouns, baratos for masculine plural nouns and baratas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈɾato/
Did you know?
- While barato means inexpensive, using it to describe a person can imply they are 'cheap' or lack principles, often in a derogatory way.
- The word barato comes from the verb baratar, which originally meant to barter or exchange goods.
- Spanish has a separate word económico for 'inexpensive' that is often preferred in professional settings to avoid the 'low quality' implication of barato.
Examples in context
- Este pescado es barato, pero nutritivo.This fish is inexpensive but nourishing.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe food using barato.Tatoeba #2008585 by marcelostockle, translation #59695 by Jesse
- Quisiera alquilar el coche más barato que tenga por una semana.I'd like to rent your most inexpensive car for a week.This sentence shows how to use barato when requesting a specific type of rental.Tatoeba #1014796 by hayastan, translation #27282 by CK
- En París, me hospedé en un hotel barato.In Paris, I stayed at an inexpensive hotel.This sentence demonstrates using barato to describe accommodation.Tatoeba #434211 by lukaszpp, translation #434210 by lukaszpp
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are looking for a new lamp at a store.
- SofíaMira esta lámpara, es muy bonita.Look at this lamp, it is very pretty.
- MateoSí, y además es bastante barato.Yes, and also it is quite inexpensive.
- Sofía¿Crees que tiene buena calidad, Mateo?Do you think it has good quality, Mateo?
- MateoParece resistente, vamos a comprarla.It seems sturdy, let's buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “inexpensive” translations and entries barato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
