niñita fea
/niɲita fea/from spelling rules
The English phrase "ugly little girl" is translated into Spanish as niñita fea.
This phrase is used to describe a young female child who is not physically attractive.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the adjective fea follows the noun niñita.
How do you pronounce it?
/niɲita fea/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a child fea or feo can be a form of 'counter-enchantment' to ward off the 'evil eye' and protect the child from bad luck.
- While fea means 'ugly', in some colloquial contexts it can describe someone who is acting grumpy or unpleasant rather than referring to their looks.
- Adding the diminutive -ita to a noun can sometimes be used ironically in Spanish to soften a harsh criticism or make a jab feel more subtle.
Examples in context
- Esa niñita fea no tiene juguetes.That ugly little girl has no toys.
- La niñita fea llora en el parque.The ugly little girl is crying in the park.
- No seas cruel con la niñita fea.Do not be cruel to the ugly little girl.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking at an old family photo.
- Daniel¿Quién es esa niñita fea de la foto?Who is that ugly little girl in the photo?
- Elena¡No seas malo, Daniel! Es mi hermana.Don't be mean, Daniel! It is my sister.
- DanielLo siento, Elena, solo era una broma.I'm sorry, Elena, it was just a joke.
- ElenaElla no era una niñita fea.She was not an ugly little girl.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
