Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| raro | /ˈraɾo/ |
| insólito | /inˈsolito/ |
| ralo | /ˈralo/ |
| muy incomún | /mui inkomun/ (from spelling rules) |
The word raro is used to describe things that do not occur often. However, be aware that in many contexts, speakers will interpret raro to mean 'strange' or 'weird' first.
Which one should you use?
While raro can mean uncommon, you should use insólito when you want to emphasize that an occurrence is extraordinary or unprecedented rather than just strange. The phrase muy incomún also translates to 'very uncommon'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective raro must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, you should use raros when modifying masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈraɾo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use raro to mean 'uncommon', but in many Spanish-speaking contexts, it will be interpreted by locals as 'weird' or 'strange' first.
Did you know?
- In some regions, ralo is used specifically to describe hair or a beard that is thin or sparse, rather than something that is uncommon.
- While raro usually means 'strange' today, its root in Latin rārus originally described things that were thin or widely spaced.
- In a medical context, a caso raro refers to a clinical rarity, but in a social context, a tipo raro is simply a 'weird guy'.
Examples in context
- Pienso que esto es muy raro.I think this is very rare.This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about something being very rare using raro.Tatoeba #5217079 by Elyte, translation #5216768 by CK
- Hay animales muy raros en Australia.There are very rare animals in Australia.This sentence is useful for describing animals that are very rare using raros.Tatoeba #5122866 by DarkHollow, translation #5122679 by AlanF_US
- No es del todo raro vivir más de 90 años.It is not rare at all to live over ninety years.This sentence is useful for noting that living over ninety years is not rare at all using raro.Tatoeba #2739 by Raimondi, translation #1547 by Zifre
- Ese fenómeno es infrecuente en esta regiónThat phenomenon is rare in this region
- Es poco común encontrar esa antigüedad en tan buen estadoIt is rare to find that antique in such good condition
- Es un caso excepcional de longevidadIt is an exceptional case of longevity
- Ese hombre tiene un sentido del humor muy peculiarThat man has a very peculiar sense of humor
- Me parece extraño que no haya recibido tu mensajeIt seems strange to me that I haven't received your message
- Es raro que en esta ciudad no haya museos de arte moderno.It is rare for this city to have no modern art museums.
- El descubrimiento de esa especie es excepcional para la comunidad científica.The discovery of that species is exceptional for the scientific community.
- Me parece extraño que a esta hora no haya tráfico en la ciudad.It seems strange to me that there is no traffic in the city at this time.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are looking at a collection of old coins.
- Mateo¿Has visto alguna vez una moneda tan rara?Have you ever seen such a rare coin?
- SofíaNo, es un objeto muy raro, Mateo.No, it is a very rare object, Mateo.
- MateoEs una pieza increíble.It is an incredible piece.
- SofíaTienes razón, es especial.You are right, it is special.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rare” translations and entries raro, insólito, ralo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
