Mensa
/mensa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, Mensa refers to the high-IQ society for people with exceptionally high intelligence.
How do you pronounce it?
/mensa/
Did you know?
- If you call a person mensa or menso in Spanish, you are not complimenting their intelligence. Instead, you are calling them 'stupid' or 'foolish'.
- The level of offense for mensa fluctuates wildly by region, where it might be a lighthearted tease in Mexico but sound more genuinely condescending in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world.
- In some dialects, adding the diminutive suffix creates mensita, which further softens the blow and can be used as a term of endearment for a child who made a mistake.
Examples in context
- Basado en una prueba online de C.I. que tomé, soy lo suficientemente inteligente para unirme a Mensa. La cuestión es, ¿soy lo suficientemente tonto para creérmelo?According to an IQ test I filled online I am smart enough to join Mensa. The question is: Am I stupid enough to believe it?This sentence illustrates using Mensa when discussing one's eligibility based on an IQ test.Tatoeba #10760787 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10760769 by Cabo
- Mi amigo se ha unido a Mensa para conocer a otras personas superdotadas.My friend has joined Mensa to meet other highly gifted people.
- Ella quiere entrar en Mensa este año.She wants to join Mensa this year.
- Mi hermano es miembro de Mensa.My brother is a member of Mensa.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are discussing their friend's academic achievements.
- Mateo¿Sabías que Carlos entró en Mensa?Did you know that Carlos joined Mensa?
- SofíaNo lo sabía, ¡es muy inteligente!I didn't know, he is very intelligent!
- MateoSí, su puntaje de C.I. fue impresionante.Yes, his IQ score was impressive.
- SofíaMe sorprende que él sea tan aplicado.It surprises me that he is so studious.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
