cuerpo delgado
/kweɾpo delɡado/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for skinny body is cuerpo delgado.
The phrase cuerpo delgado describes a physical build that is thin or slender. Depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey, other expressions may be more appropriate: cuerpo enjuto describes a lean or thin body, while cuerpo esbelto refers to a graceful and slender figure. To describe someone who is extremely thin or emaciated, you might use cuerpo escuchimizado. If you want to say 'He/She is very thin', use Está muy delgado/a or to say 'He/She has a slim figure', use Tiene una figura esbelta. Other descriptive phrases include Es flacucho/a (He/She is scrawny), Tiene un cuerpo enclenque (He/She has a frail body) or Tiene un cuerpo de palillo (He/She has a stick-like body).
Which one should you use?
While cuerpo delgado is a neutral way to describe a thin build, cuerpo flaco is a more colloquial and potentially more blunt way to say skinny body. If you wish to be polite or complimentary, cuerpo esbelto is preferred as it implies an athletic or graceful shape rather than just being thin.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase cuerpo delgado, the adjective delgado must agree in gender with the masculine noun cuerpo.
How do you pronounce it?
/kweɾpo delɡado/
Did you know?
- The word cuerpo is a direct descendant of the Latin 'corpus', but Spanish also uses 'corpus' as a separate loanword in specific legal or academic contexts.
- Spanish speakers use the phrase cuerpo de palillo to describe a stick-like body, comparing the person's build to a toothpick.
Examples in context
- Tiene un cuerpo delgado y eleganteHe/She has a slender and elegant body
- A pesar de su edad avanzada, conserva un cuerpo enjutoDespite his/her old age, he/she maintains a thin body
- Lucía tiene un cuerpo esbelto debido a su entrenamiento constanteLucia has a slender body due to her constant training
- Mi hermana es muy delgaducha y come como un elefanteMy sister is very skinny and eats like an elephant
- Después de pasar toda la semana enfermo, Jorge se veía completamente escuchimizadoAfter being sick all week, Jorge looked completely emaciated
- Tiene un cuerpo delgado.He/She has a thin body.
- Él tiene un cuerpo delgado.He has a skinny body.
- Su cuerpo delgado le permite correr rápido.His skinny body allows him to run fast.
- A pesar de su cuerpo delgado, es muy fuerte.Despite his skinny body, he is very strong.
Example conversation
María and Javier are discussing an athlete at the gym.
- María¿Viste al nuevo corredor?Did you see the new runner?
- JavierSí, tiene un cuerpo delgado y ágil.Yes, he has a skinny and agile body.
- MaríaParece que entrena mucho.It looks like he trains a lot.
- JavierEs muy dedicado con su deporte.He is very dedicated to his sport.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuerpo, delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
