cabeza hueca
/kabeθa weka/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'knucklehead' can be translated into Spanish as cabeza hueca.
cabeza hueca is used to describe someone who is scatterbrained, silly or lacks common sense. Depending on the context, you might also use the adjective torpe to describe someone behaving like a 'knucklehead' or the informal term tonto to describe foolish or silly behavior.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cabeza hueca literally translates to 'hollow head', implying the person's head is empty of intelligence.
Did you know?
- While cabeza hueca describes a hollow head, Spanish speakers often use the phrase no tener un pelo de tonto to describe someone who is the opposite, meaning they are not foolish by even a single hair.
- The word cabeza shares an ancestor with the English word 'cap', as both stem from the Latin 'caput', meaning 'head'.
- If a 'knucklehead' is being particularly gullible or easy to fool, a speaker might call them a papanatas instead of using the 'hollow head' expression.
Examples in context
- ¡No puedo creer lo tonto que eres!I can't believe how much of a knucklehead you are!
- Mi hermano está actuando como un verdadero tonto.My brother is acting like a real knucklehead.
- No seas un cabeza hueca.Don't be a knucklehead.
- Ese cabeza hueca perdió las llaves otra vez.That knucklehead lost his keys again.
- Mi hermano es un cabeza hueca.My brother is a knucklehead.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are talking about a clumsy friend.
- Daniel¿Viste lo que hizo Marcos?Did you see what Marcos did?
- SofíaSí, es un verdadero cabeza hueca.Yes, he is a real knucklehead.
- DanielSiempre hace tonterías.He always does silly things.
- SofíaEs un caso perdido.He is a lost cause.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cabeza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
