astuto
/asˈtuto/
The English word sly is translated into Spanish as astuto.
astuto is used to describe someone who is artfully cunning, secretly mischievous or wily. While it carries the sense of being sly, it is often used neutrally to mean 'clever' or 'smart' in a resourceful way.
Meaning: artfully cunning, secretly mischievous, wily (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal form pillo/a is typically used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective astuto must agree with the gender and number of the noun it describes. Use the feminine form astuta for a single female, the masculine plural form astutos for a group of males or a mixed-gender group and the feminine plural form astutas for a group of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/asˈtuto/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American regions, calling someone vivo is a common way to describe a person who is astuto specifically by taking advantage of others for their own gain.
- While astuto is the standard term, in many Latin American countries, the word listo is a very common way to say someone is 'clever' or 'sly'.
- The term astuto shares a common ancestor with the English word 'astute', though the English version is now more formal than its Spanish counterpart.
Examples in context
- Alí es astuto como un zorro.Ali is as sly as a fox.This sentence demonstrates how to use astuto to describe someone's cleverness by comparing them to a fox.Tatoeba #10160941 by Shishir, translation #10245184 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Es un hombre astutoHe is a sly man
- Ella es muy astutaShe is very sly
- Tienes que tener cuidado con él, es muy listoYou have to be careful with him, he is very sly
- Ese hombre es muy vivo, siempre encuentra la manera de salirse con la suyaThat man is very sly, he always finds a way to get away with things
- ¡Qué pillo eres! Siempre encuentras la forma de conseguir lo que quieresYou're so sly! You always find a way to get what you want
- No juegues con él, es muy tramposoDon't play with him, he is very sly
- Es un tipo muy astuto.He is a very sly guy.
- Es un plan muy astuto.It is a very cunning plan.
- Ese hombre es astuto para los negocios.That man is wily in business.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing a classmate's clever trick.
- Lucía¿Viste cómo engañó al profesor?Did you see how he tricked the teacher?
- AlejandroSí, es muy astuto.Yes, he is very sly.
- LucíaRealmente es un chico astuto.He really is a wily boy.
- AlejandroDebemos tener cuidado con él.We should be careful with him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sly” translations and entries astuto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries astuto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
