Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between pretending and being: Deja de hacerte el tonto implies the person is pretending to be stupid for a reason, whereas Deja de ser tonto implies they are actually being stupid.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal settings, you can use No seas tonto to say "don't be stupid", Por favor, deja de hacer el idiota to say "please, stop acting like an idiot" or the conversational phrase No te hagas el tonto which means "don't play dumb". In formal contexts, use Deje de actuar de forma estúpida or the polite Por favor, cese de comportarse de manera poco inteligente.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on who you are addressing. If you are speaking to a woman, you must use the feminine form of the adjective: Deja de hacerte la tonta. To address a group of people, the verb deja becomes dejen, the reflexive pronoun te becomes se and the adjective tonto becomes tontos, resulting in Dejen de hacerse los tontos.
Did you know?
- The word tonto may be related to the Latin attonitus, which describes someone struck by thunder or stunned into silence.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone tonto is often seen as a mild, almost affectionate tease rather than a harsh insult.
- While 'tonto' is often used for 'stupid', it is a cognate of the Italian 'tonto' and Portuguese 'tonto', which can also mean 'dizzy' or 'stunned'.
Examples in context
- Por favor, cese de comportarse de manera poco inteligente. Estamos intentando concentrarnos en el tema principalPlease, stop acting unintelligently. We are trying to focus on the main topic.
- No seas tonto. ¡Estamos aquí para divertirnos!Don't be stupid. We're here to have fun!
- Deja de hacerte el tonto con mis llaves.Stop acting stupid with my keys.
- ¡Deja de hacerte el tonto y dime la verdad!Stop acting stupid and tell me the truth!
- Deja de hacerte el tonto, que te vi.Stop acting stupid, I saw you.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are arguing about a broken vase in the living room.
- Lucía¿Tú rompiste el jarrón de cristal?Did you break the glass vase?
- MateoYo no fui, fue el gato.It wasn't me, it was the cat.
- Lucía¡Deja de hacerte el tonto, Mateo!Stop acting stupid, Mateo!
- MateoEstá bien, lo siento mucho.Fine, I am very sorry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, deja, el, tonto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
