no es justo
/no es xusto/from spelling rules
The English phrase "no fair" is translated into Spanish as no es justo.
no es justo is an expression used to complain that a situation is not just or equitable. It is commonly used by children or in informal settings to protest a perceived lack of fairness in games or rules.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of no (not), es (is) and justo (just/fair).
Which one should you use?
While no es justo is the standard way to say "it is not fair", using es injusto carries a slightly stronger, more formal tone of moral indignation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America and Argentina, the informal phrase No es justo, che is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the third-person singular form of the verb ser to state a general fact about a situation.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if a child is protesting a game, they might use the even more colloquial expression ¡Qué trampa! which literally translates to 'What a trap!'
- While you might use no es justo to complain about a rule, the word justo can also mean 'exactly' or 'just' when used as an adverb, such as in the phrase justo ahora for 'right now'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a complaint like no es justo is often accompanied by a specific gesture, such as shrugging the shoulders or raising the palms of the hands.
Examples in context
- No es justo.No fair.This example is useful for practicing the phrase no es justo.Tatoeba #1896124 by Shishir, translation #10493811 by deniko
- No es justo, che, que siempre me toque hacer el trabajo duro.It's not fair, dude, that I always have to do the hard work.
- No me parece correcto que se le dé preferencia a ciertos empleados.It doesn't seem right to me that certain employees are given preference.
- No me parece justo, hombre, que siempre elijan a los mismos.It doesn't seem fair, man, that they always choose the same ones.
- No es justo que él gane siempre.It is not fair that he always wins.
- No es justo tener que trabajar el domingo.It is not fair having to work on Sunday.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing the rules of a board game.
- Elena¡No es justo, Mateo!It is not fair, Mateo!
- MateoSolo estoy siguiendo las reglas.I am just following the rules.
- ElenaPero tú cambiaste el dado.But you changed the dice.
- MateoNo es cierto, Elena.That is not true, Elena.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
