hinchado
/inˈt͡ʃado/
The English word puffy is translated into Spanish as hinchado.
hinchado means inflated. A common expression is hinchado como un globo, which means puffy like a balloon.
Meaning: inflated (adj)
Which one should you use?
While hinchado can mean 'puffy' (like eyes or a pastry), it is also the standard word for 'swollen' due to injury or inflammation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes, so use hinchada for feminine nouns. The adjective must agree in number with the noun it describes, so use hinchados for masculine plural nouns and hinchadas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/inˈtʃado/
Did you know?
- In Spain, the expression hinchar las pelotas is a vulgar way to say that someone is being incredibly annoying or is 'getting on your nerves'.
- The verb form hinchar can also mean 'to annoy' or 'to bother' someone in certain Spanish dialects, making a sentence about being 'puffy' sound like a complaint about a person.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you say someone is hinchado, you might not mean they are puffy, but rather that they are incredibly arrogant or full of themselves.
Examples in context
- Después del golpe, su rostro quedó hinchado y adolorido.After the impact, his face was swollen and painful.
- Mis pies están inflamados después de caminar todo el día.My feet are swollen after walking all day.
- ¡Mira a ese bebé! ¡Qué mejillas hinchaditas tiene después de la siesta!Look at that baby! What chubby cheeks he has after his nap!
- Tengo los ojos hinchados.I have puffy eyes.
- Tengo el ojo izquierdo muy hinchado.My left eye is very puffy.
- El globo está hinchado con helio.The balloon is inflated with helium.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hinchado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
