How to Say “Trashy” in Spanish

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cutre
/ˈkutɾe/
The English word 'trashy' can be translated into Spanish as cutre.
cutre is used to describe things that are trashy, tacky, low-quality or shabby. It can be applied to physical objects, such as a shabby hotel, as well as to aesthetics or behaviors, like a trashy movie or an outfit.
Meaning: indecent or lacking class (adj)

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

cutre is an informal adjective. For a more formal way to express that something is 'in bad taste', you can use the expression De mal gusto. If you want to use colloquial terms, Chabacano/a is used to describe someone or something as tacky or trashy, while the informal Ordinario/a refers to something or someone as vulgar, crude or lacking class.

Is it said differently in some regions?

cutre is most commonly used in Spain. In Mexico, Naco/a is used to refer to someone or something as unrefined or tacky and the slang term Piruja can be used in certain regions of Mexico to describe a person, typically a woman, who is seen as promiscuous or low-class. In Latin America, Corriente is used to describe something or someone as low-class or of poor quality. In Spain and some Latin American countries, Cursi is used to describe something that is tacky, kitschy or overly sentimental.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈkutɾe/

Did you know?

  • The word cutre likely comes from kurtí, meaning 'short' or 'small', in the Romani-Iberian dialect known as Caló.
  • While cutre is common in Spain, using the Mexican term naco can be seen as a severe social insult due to its heavy class-based stigma.
  • If you describe a person as corriente in Latin America, you are calling them 'trashy', even though the word's literal meaning is 'current' or 'common'.

Examples in context

  • La decoración de la sala de espera es de mal gusto.
    The waiting room decoration is in bad taste.
  • El vestuario de la cantante es poco refinado.
    The singer's costumes are unrefined.
  • La fiesta de anoche fue muy chabacana.
    Last night's party was very trashy.
  • Ese programa de televisión es bastante ordinario.
    That TV show is quite trashy.
  • Su comportamiento es sumamente corriente.
    His/her behavior is extremely trashy.
  • No quiero ir a ese bar, es un sitio cutre.
    I don't want to go to that bar, it's a trashy place.
  • Su decoración es un poco cutre.
    His decoration is a bit trashy.

Example conversation

Lucía and Daniel are discussing where to go for a drink.

  1. Lucía

    ¿Vamos al club nuevo?
    Shall we go to the new club?
  2. Daniel

    No, me parece un sitio muy cutre.
    No, it seems like a very trashy place to me.
  3. Lucía

    Es verdad, tiene un aspecto cutre.
    It's true, it has a trashy look.
  4. Daniel

    Busquemos un sitio más elegante.
    Let's look for a more elegant place.

Sources

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Sabrina Lillian
Sabrina LillianHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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