sigiloso
quiet, stealthy
There is no single word for "sneaky" in Mexican Spanish. Use sigiloso for someone who moves quietly, and tramposo for someone who cheats or plays tricks. It is also called a escondidas.
Meaning: acting quietly or slyly (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| sigiloso | quiet, stealthy |
| tramposo | tricky, cheating |
| a escondidas | secretly |
For doing something in secret you can say a escondidas, as in Comió dulces a escondidas. That fits a child sneaking snacks.
Which one should you use?
Sigiloso describes careful, silent movement and is not an insult. Tramposo is critical because it points to dishonest behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both adjectives change with gender: sigiloso and sigilosa, tramposo and tramposa.
Did you know?
- The word sigilo for stealth comes from Latin sigillum, a small seal, because secrets were once sealed.
Examples in context
- El gato caminó de forma sigilosa.The cat walked in a sneaky way.
- No seas tramposo, juega limpio.Do not be sneaky, play fair.
- Salió de casa a escondidas.He left the house secretly.
Example conversation
Aunt Marta and her nephew Pablo talk about the family cat that keeps stealing food in Chihuahua.
- MartaPablo, el gato se llevó el pollo.Pablo, the cat took the chicken.
- PabloEs muy sigiloso, no lo oí entrar.He is very sneaky, I did not hear him come in.
- MartaY muy tramposo, siempre espera a que no mires.And very tricky, he always waits until you do not look.
