Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| celoso | /θeˈloso/ /seˈloso/ |
| envidioso | /embiˈdjoso/ |
Spanish uses different words depending on whether you are experiencing romantic jealousy or envy of someone's success or possessions. Use celoso to describe a protective or possessive feeling in relationships. Use envidioso to describe the resentment felt toward someone else's material goods, status or advantages. If you want to express a sentiment of envy in a more formal or polite manner, you can use the phrase Desearía tener lo que tiene.
Which one should you use?
Use celoso when referring to romantic jealousy or the protective feeling of wanting to possess someone's affection. Use envidioso when referring to envy, such as wanting what someone else has, like material goods, status or success.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, celoso must agree in gender and number with the person being described: celosa (feminine singular), celosos (masculine plural) or celosas (feminine plural). Additionally, while celoso is an adjective, the noun form for the concept of jealousy is celos, which is almost always used in the plural in Spanish.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeˈloso/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word celoso shares a common ancestor with the English word 'zeal'. Both stem from the Greek word 'zêlos', meaning intense fervor or enthusiasm.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, celos are sometimes jokingly framed as a proof of love (los celos son signo de amor), though this view is increasingly debated.
- The phrase dar envidia is commonly used to say something 'makes me jealous', but unlike the English 'green with envy', Spanish has no widely used color associated with envy.
Examples in context
- Es un poco celoso.He's a bit jealous.This sentence demonstrates the use of celoso to describe a person's character.Tatoeba #1962958 by teskmon, translation #1956206 by Spamster
- Yo me puse celoso.I got jealous.This sentence shows how to use celoso with the verb to describe a change in state.Tatoeba #4592931 by Francisco_M, translation #2245793 by CK
- Vas a estar celoso.You're going to be jealous.This sentence illustrates the future application of celoso.Tatoeba #2921184 by marcelostockle, translation #2917380 by AlanF_US
- Ella siempre se muestra envidiosa cuando alguien tiene éxitoShe always shows jealousy when someone succeeds
- Mi novio está celoso porque paso mucho tiempo con mis amigosMy boyfriend is jealous because I spend a lot of time with my friends
- Mi amiga está envidiosa porque he obtenido una promociónMy friend is jealous because I got a promotion
- Cuando mi hermana vio mi nuevo coche, se puso verde de envidiaWhen my sister saw my new car, she turned green with envy
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are talking about a friend's new car.
- SofíaMira el coche nuevo de Luis.Look at Luis's new car.
- AlejandroEs increíble, me siento muy celoso.It's incredible, I feel very jealous.
- SofíaNo seas celoso, tú también comprarás uno.Don't be jealous, you will buy one too.
- AlejandroTienes razón, pero es muy bonito.You're right, but it is very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jealous” translations and entries celoso, envidioso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries celoso, envidioso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
