feo
general, masculine
The standard word is feo, or fea for a feminine noun, and it is used in Mexico too. Mexicans add bien for emphasis, as in bien feo. The slang gacho means nasty or unpleasant.
Meaning: unpleasant to look at (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| feo | general, masculine |
| fea | general, feminine |
| gacho | Mexico, slang |
Feo describes looks, as in una casa fea. Calling a person feo is rude, so many speakers soften it with no está muy bonito.
Which one should you use?
Gacho is Mexican slang. It covers a bad situation, a bad act or an unpleasant thing, for example Qué gacho for "how awful". It is not mainly about looks.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agrees with its noun: un perro feo, una camisa fea.
Did you know?
- The word gacho is used a lot in Mexico, and in everyday speech it often means "bad" or "unfair" far more than "ugly".
Examples in context
- Esa camisa está bien fea.That shirt is really ugly.
- Qué gacho lo que hizo.What he did was awful.
- El edificio es feo, pero es barato.The building is ugly, but it is cheap.
Example conversation
Luis shows his friend Karla a sweater his aunt gave him.
- LuisMira el suéter que me regaló mi tía.Look at the sweater my aunt gave me.
- KarlaEstá bien feo, ¿no?It is really ugly, right?
- LuisSí, pero me da pena no usarlo.Yes, but I feel bad not wearing it.
- KarlaÚsalo una vez y ya.Wear it once and that is it.
