afilado
/afiˈlado/
The English word sharp can be translated into Spanish in several ways depending on the context. The default form is afilado. Wiktionary also lists agudo and filoso.
Meaning: able to cut easily (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| afilado | /afiˈlado/ |
| agudo | /aˈɡudo/ |
| filoso | /fiˈloso/ |
| puntiagudo | /puntjaˈɡudo/ |
| punzocortante | /punθokoɾˈtante/ /punsokoɾˈtante/ |
| cortopunzante | /koɾtopunθante/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /koɾtopunsante/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
In Spanish, the word for sharp changes based on whether you are describing a physical edge, a pointed tip, a sensory experience or a technical property of an object.
Which one should you use?
Use filoso to describe the physical edge of a blade or a tool that can cut. If an object is sharp at its tip, use puntiagudo to mean pointed. For abstract or sensory sharpness, such as a sharp intellect, a sharp sound or a sharp pain, use agudo. The term punzocortante describes objects that are both sharp and capable of piercing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term punzocortante is a formal or technical way to say sharp and piercing, often used in medical or legal contexts. The formal way to express "sharp" in Spanish is sostenido.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/afiˈlado/
Did you know?
- The word filoso can be used colloquially in some regions to describe a person who is witty or has a 'sharp' tongue.
- In Spanish music theory, the term agudo is used to describe high-pitched notes, whereas grave describes low-pitched ones.
- The suffix -oso in filoso is used across Spanish to transform nouns into adjectives that mean 'full of', similar to the English suffix 'full'.
Examples in context
- Él es un tirador agudo.He is a sharp-shooter.This sentence uses agudo to describe a sharp-shooter.Tatoeba #5140110 by albrusgher, translation #300434 by CM
- El cuchillo no es filoso.The knife is not sharp.This sentence uses filoso to describe a knife that is not sharp.Tatoeba #5021366 by don_ramon, translation #60758 by CK
- Tengo un agudo dolor aquí.I have a sharp pain here.This sentence uses agudo to describe a sharp pain.Tatoeba #1321852 by marcelostockle, translation #61778 by CK
- La nota se debe tocar como sol sostenido.The note should be played as G sharp.
- Trabaja en la digitación para el mi sostenido.Work on the fingering for E sharp.
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are in the kitchen preparing dinner.
- Lucía¿Está afilado este cuchillo de cocina?Is this kitchen knife sharp?
- DanielSí, está muy afilado.Yes, it is very sharp.
- LucíaTen cuidado, Daniel, es peligroso.Be careful, Daniel, it is dangerous.
- DanielNo te preocupes, lo usaré con cuidado.Don't worry, I will use it carefully.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sharp” translations and entries afilado, agudo, filoso, puntiagudo, punzocortante, cortopunzante, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afilado, agudo, filoso, puntiagudo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
