persona fea
/peɾsona fea/from spelling rules
The English phrase "ugly person" is translated into Spanish as persona fea.
persona fea is used to describe a person who is not pleasant to look at.
Which one should you use?
While persona fea is a neutral way to describe an ugly person, you can use the masculine adjective feo as a noun, in the form un feo, to specifically refer to an ugly man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term canijo is sometimes used to describe someone who is both thin and unattractive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective fea must agree in gender with the noun persona, which is always feminine in Spanish.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsona fea/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a baby feo is a traditional way to ward off the 'evil eye' and prevent bad luck from affecting the child.
- The word persona comes from the Latin persōna, which originally referred to the masks worn by actors in ancient theater to project their voices and characters.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone feo is sometimes used as a playful or affectionate term between close friends or family members, depending entirely on the tone of voice used.
Examples in context
- Me encontré con una persona poco atractiva en la fiesta de anoche.I met an unattractive person at the party last night.
- Esa es una persona fea.That is an ugly person.
- No quiero ser una persona fea de corazón.I don't want to be an ugly person at heart.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing a character in a movie.
- JavierEl villano es una persona fea.The villain is an ugly person.
- ElenaNo estoy de acuerdo, Javier.I don't agree, Javier.
- Javier¡Mira su cara, es una persona fea!Look at his face, he is an ugly person!
- ElenaPara mí, él es interesante.To me, he is interesting.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
