Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gafe | /ˈɡafe/ | masculine, person |
| ave de mal agüero | /abe de mal aɡweɾo/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| yeta | /ˈʝeta/ | South America, feminine |
| yetatore | /ʝetatoɾe/ (from spelling rules) | South America, feminine |
| yetudo | /ʝetudo/ (from spelling rules) | South America, masculine |
| mufa | /ˈmufa/ | feminine |
The term refers to a person or thing supposed to bring bad luck. While gafe identifies the person, the verb gafar is used to express the action of bringing bad luck or jinxing something. If you accidentally jinx yourself by speaking too soon, you can use the reflexive form gafarse.
Which one should you use?
gafe is a masculine noun specifically used for the person who is a jinx, whereas gafar refers to the action itself.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mufa is a common colloquial way to refer to a jinx or a streak of bad luck. yeta is also a colloquial slang term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
yeta, yetatore and yetudo are used in South America. Specifically, yeta is slang for a jinx in countries like Argentina and Uruguay. In the Southern Cone of South America, mufa is a frequent colloquial way to describe a jinx or bad luck.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb gafar is used to express the action of bringing bad luck or jinxing something, and its reflexive form gafarse is often used when someone accidentally jinxes themselves by speaking too soon.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡafe/
Did you know?
- In sports contexts, particularly football in South America, a mufa is someone whose presence is believed to cause a team to lose, often leading to them being banned from the locker room.
- The term ave de mal agüero literally translates to 'bird of bad omen'. It evokes the ancient Roman practice of augury, where priests interpreted the flight of birds to predict the future.
- The word gafe may be related to the French word gaffe, which refers to a blunder or a social mistake.
Examples in context
- No creo que seas gafe.I don't think you're a jinx.This sentence is useful for expressing that you do not believe someone is a gafe.Tatoeba #9462694 by ignacio, translation #9462661 by Nylez
- No quiero ser un gafe para el equipo.I don't want to be a jinx for the team.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a sports game.
- SofíaNo digas que vamos a ganar, Mateo.Don't say that we are going to win, Mateo.
- MateoWhy? I am just being positive.Why? I am just being positive.
- SofíaPorque eres un gafe y siempre perdemos.Because you are a jinx and we always lose.
- MateoEso no es verdad, Sofía.That is not true, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jinx” translations and entries gafe, yeta, mufa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agüero, ave, de, gafe, mal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
