hombre de paja
/ombɾe de paxa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'straw man' is translated into Spanish as hombre de paja.
In Spanish, hombre de paja is used to describe the logical fallacy of misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.
Meaning: insubstantial or weakly supported concept, idea, endeavor or argument (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of the English term: hombre means man, de means of and paja means straw.
Did you know?
- While it means 'man' today, the ancestor of hombre literally meant 'earthling'. This suggests that early speakers viewed humans as creatures specifically tied to the ground.
- If a Spanish speaker calls your argument paja, they aren't just saying it is weak, but that it is actually 'nonsense' or 'empty talk'.
- While hombre de paja is used for the logical fallacy, many Spanish speakers prefer to use the term falacia del espantapájaros, which translates to 'scarecrow fallacy'.
Examples in context
- En el debate, el político presentó un hombre de paja para desacreditar la postura de su oponente.In the debate, the politician presented a straw man to discredit his opponent's stance.
- Ese argumento es solo un hombre de paja.That argument is just a straw man.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are debating a project proposal in the office.
- ElenaCreo que tu propuesta no tiene sustento real.I think your proposal has no real support.
- AlejandroTengo datos que respaldan cada punto, Elena.I have data that supports every point, Elena.
- ElenaAun así, me parece un hombre de paja.Even so, it seems like a straw man to me.
- AlejandroDéjame explicarte los detalles una vez más.Let me explain the details to you one more time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hombre de paja, 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 de, hombre, hombre de paja, paja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
