Which one should you use?
The phrase muy gordo describes a state of being fat. If you use the verb estar (for example, está muy gordo), it often implies a temporary state or recent weight gain. In contrast, using the verb ser (for example, es muy gordo) implies that being fat is a permanent characteristic.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal or medical contexts, use obeso/a (obese) to describe excessive body fat instead of gordo/a. For a more polite or formal way to refer to someone who is heavily built or has a large frame, you can use muy corpulento/a. In casual conversations, you may hear the figurative expression Gordo/a como una bola.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective gordo must agree in gender and number with the person or thing being described. Use muy gorda for a feminine subject, muy gordos for a masculine or mixed-gender group and muy gordas for a group consisting only of females.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a friend or even a child Gordo or Gorda is often used as an affectionate nickname rather than a literal insult.
- The English word 'gravity' is a distant relative of the Spanish word gordo, as both share roots in the Latin concept of weight and heaviness.
- Spanish uses the diminutive gordito to soften the impact of the word, making it sound cute or affectionate rather than critical.
Examples in context
- Tom no está muy gordo.Tom isn't very fat.This sentence is useful for saying that Tom is not very fat using muy gordo.Tatoeba #13200943 by Shishir, translation #6358125 by CK
- Tu perro está muy gordo.Your dog is very fat.This sentence is useful for describing a dog that is very fat using muy gordo.Tatoeba #544044 by Shishir, translation #485958 by minshirui
- Soy muy gordo.I'm very fat.This sentence is useful for stating that you are very fat using muy gordo.Tatoeba #1317302 by hayastan, translation #1023661 by CK
- ¡Ese perro es muy gordo!That dog is very fat!
- Mis jeans ya no me quedan, estoy muy gordo/a.My jeans don't fit me anymore, I'm very fat.
- Juan ha engordado enormemente, está muy gordo ahora.Juan has gained an enormous amount of weight, he is very fat now.
- ¡No puedo creerlo, Paco está gordo como una bola!I can't believe it, Paco is as fat as a ball!
- El señor Rodríguez es muy corpulento.Mr. Rodríguez is very corpulent.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are looking at a photo of a cat.
- MateoMira este gato, ¡está muy gordo!Look at this cat, it is very fat!
- SofíaSí, parece una pelota.Yes, it looks like a ball.
- MateoCreo que come demasiado.I think it eats too much.
- SofíaEs muy gordo pero es lindo.It is very fat but it is cute.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gordo, muy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
