poco profesional
/poko pɾofesjonal/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'unprofessional' is translated into Spanish as poco profesional.
The term is used to describe someone whose behavior or work does not meet the expected standards of a professional person.
Which one should you use?
Instead, you use the modifier poco (little) to indicate a lack of professionalism.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in number with the subject. For example, use poco profesionales when describing a plural subject. Because profesional is gender-neutral in its form, the phrase poco profesional remains the same when describing a feminine subject.
Did you know?
- The root of the word profesional traces back to the Latin verb profiteor, which relates to 'confessing' or 'declaring'.
- While English uses the prefix 'un-' to create 'unprofessional', Spanish frequently uses poco to soften a criticism, making the phrase feel less like a permanent trait and more like a lack of a specific quality.
- In Spanish, the word profesional can function as both a noun and an adjective, allowing a person to be called un profesional regardless of their job title.
Examples in context
- Su actitud fue poco profesionalHis attitude was unprofessional
- El trabajo que hicieron fue muy chapuceroThe work they did was very unprofessional
- Esa empresa parece poco seriaThat company seems unprofessional
- El bajo nivel profesional de ese individuo es evidenteThe low professional standard of that individual is evident
- Su actitud fue poco profesional.His attitude was unprofessional.
- Me parece poco profesional llegar tarde siempre.I think it is unprofessional to always arrive late.
- Fue un trato poco profesional por parte de la empresa.It was unprofessional treatment from the company.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing a coworker at the office.
- Mateo¿Viste cómo le habló al cliente?Did you see how he spoke to the client?
- MaríaSí, fue muy poco profesional.Yes, it was very unprofessional.
- MateoMaría, no deberíamos permitir eso en la oficina.María, we shouldn't allow that in the office.
- MaríaTienes razón, Mateo, es inaceptable.You are right, Mateo, it is unacceptable.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poco, profesional, CC BY-SA 4.0.
