Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| insalubre | /insaˈlubɾe/ |
| no / poco / nada saludable / salutífero | |
| malsano | /malˈsano/ |
In Spanish, the word you choose for unhealthy depends entirely on whether you are describing an environment, a person's habits or a mental state.
Which one should you use?
Use insalubre specifically for environments, living conditions or substances that are physically hazardous, such as polluted air or unsanitary housing. If you are discussing lifestyle or habits, such as food or exercise, it is more natural to use the phrase no es saludable rather than a single adjective. Use malsano when describing something that is unhealthy in a psychological, moral or social sense, like an unhealthy obsession or an unhealthy relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, you may hear enfermizo/a used to describe someone or something that appears sickly or excessively frail. In Mexico, the term chatarra is used specifically to refer to unhealthy food, such as junk food or fast food.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective insalubre must agree in number with the noun it modifies, changing to insalubres for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/insaˈlubɾe/
Did you know?
- If you want to talk about 'junk food' in Mexico, you can use the word chatarra, which literally translates to 'scrap metal'.
- The Spanish word for nothing, nada, actually has its roots in the concept of 'nothing born'. It evolved from the Latin phrase for 'not a born thing'.
- The term salutífero is a rare, positive counterpart to insalubre that describes something that brings or promotes health.
Examples in context
- ¿A partir de qué edad es malsano para un niño tener amigos imaginarios?Beyond what age is it unhealthy for a child to have imaginary friends?This sentence is useful for discussing the age at which certain psychological traits might be considered unhealthy using malsano.Tatoeba #5999285 by albrusgher, translation #727190 by darinmex
- Trabajar en ambientes insalubres puede afectar gravemente la salud.Working in unhealthy environments can seriously affect your health.
- Comer alimentos no saludables puede provocar problemas de peso.Eating unhealthy foods can lead to weight problems.
- ¡No comas eso, es malsano!Don't eat that, it's unhealthy!
- Después de tantas horas sin dormir, me siento chungo/a.After so many hours without sleep, I feel awful.
- El niño tiene un aspecto enfermizo. Deberías llevarlo al médico.The child looks unhealthy. You should take him to the doctor.
- No deberías comer tanta chatarra. Es perjudicial para tu salud.You shouldn't eat so much junk food. It's harmful to your health.
- El aire en esta fábrica es insalubre.The air in this factory is unhealthy.
- Vivir en un ambiente insalubre afecta la salud.Living in an unhealthy environment affects your health.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about a dirty restaurant.
- ElenaMira qué sucio está este lugar.Look how dirty this place is.
- JavierSí, parece un ambiente muy insalubre.Yes, it seems like a very unhealthy environment.
- ElenaNo quiero comer aquí, Javier.I don't want to eat here, Javier.
- JavierTienes razón, busquemos otro restaurante.You're right, let's look for another restaurant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unhealthy” translations and entries insalubre, malsano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries insalubre, malsano, nada, no, poco, saludable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
