travesura
/tɾabeˈsuɾa/feminine
Mischief in Spanish is translated as travesura. Wiktionary also lists gamberrada.
Meaning: conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| travesura | /tɾabeˈsuɾa/ | feminine |
| gamberrada | /ɡambeˈrada/ | feminine |
The word mischief in Spanish can be expressed through several different terms depending on the intent and severity of the behavior. travesura refers to lighthearted, playful or harmless mischief, which is often associated with children. For mischief that involves a touch of devilish humor, you might use the informal term diablura.
Which one should you use?
While travesura is used for playful and harmless acts, gamberrada implies more disruptive, rowdy or antisocial behavior that is more annoying than playful.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the idea of 'doing a mischief' or 'playing a prank', you typically use the verb hacer with travesura (hacer una travesura) rather than the verb cometer.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾabeˈsuɾa/
Did you know?
- If you call a child travieso, you are literally saying they are 'crooked' or 'crosswise' in their behavior.
- The word diablura comes from diablo, meaning 'devil'. It is used when the mischief has a more wicked or devilish edge than a simple travesura.
- The term gamberro is often used to describe someone who is a 'troublemaker' or a 'hoodlum', which is much more aggressive than the English 'mischief'.
Examples in context
- Voy a hacer mi primera gamberrada.I'm gonna make my first mischief.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of gamberrada.Tatoeba #1332751 by Shishir, translation #1332755 by AMIKEMA
- Su mamá le acolita todas sus travesuras.His mom puts up with all of his mischief.This sentence shows how to use the plural form of travesura.Tatoeba #3713473 by cueyayotl, translation #3713512 by Jesse
- Piensas que la gente está bien, pero permito que alguien piense que la gente y todas las sociedades son malas. Nadie quiere que otra gente tolere sus travesuras. La gente se queja de otra gente porque sus puntos de vista varían.You think that people are okay, but I allow one to think that people and all societies are bad. No one wants other people to tolerate their mischief. People give grief to people because their viewpoints vary.This sentence illustrates the use of travesura in a broader context regarding social tolerance.Tatoeba #1383400 by Shishir, translation #656838 by janmato
- María siempre está buscando alguna travesura para hacer en su tiempo libre.María is always looking for some mischief to do in her free time.
- ¡Vamos a hacer alguna travesura en la fiesta para añadir diversión!Let's do some mischief at the party to add fun!
- Los amigos organizaron una travesura pícara para celebrar el cumpleaños de Andrés.The friends organized a mischievous prank to celebrate Andrés' birthday.
- Aquel niño siempre está pensando en alguna diablura para hacer en el colegio.That kid is always thinking about some mischief to do at school.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their younger brother.
- SofíaMira lo que hizo el niño en la cocina.Look at what the boy did in the kitchen.
- MateoOtra vez hizo una travesura con la harina.He played another prank with the flour again.
- SofíaSiempre está buscando hacer alguna travesura.He is always looking to cause some mischief.
- MateoEs muy divertido, pero tenemos que limpiarlo.It's very funny, but we have to clean it up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mischief” translations and entries travesura, gamberrada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
