muy feo
/mui feo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "very ugly" is translated into Spanish as muy feo.
Which one should you use?
Using the verb ser with muy feo implies a permanent physical characteristic, whereas using estar (estás muy feo) can imply a temporary appearance or a change in look.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people might use horroroso/a or espantoso/a to convey a sense of extreme ugliness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender with the noun it describes, changing from 'muy feo' to muy fea for feminine nouns. The phrase becomes muy feos when describing a group of males or a mixed-gender group. The phrase becomes muy feas when describing a group of females.
Did you know?
- While muy feo is the standard translation, Spanish speakers often use the diminutive feíto to soften the blow of the insult or to describe something 'cutely' ugly.
- Although muy feo describes ugliness, the word feo is also used in the phrase hacer el feo to describe the act of rejecting something or someone publicly.
- The word feo displaced an older native Spanish word, hedo, which had a more direct connection to smelling bad.
Examples in context
- Eres muy feo.You're very ugly.Tatoeba #10190383 by Shishir, translation #3819022 by CK
- Estás muy feo.You are very ugly.This sentence uses muy feo to describe a temporary appearance or a change in look.Tatoeba #3467836 by hayastan, translation #7822760 by eggershead
- Prefiero un hombre muy feo pero amable a uno guapo pero desagradable.I prefer a very ugly but kind man to a handsome but unkind one.Tatoeba #11342393 by carlosalberto, translation #11341881 by carlosalberto
- Ese edificio es muy feo.That building is very ugly.
- La decoración es sumamente fea.The decoration is extremely ugly.
- La pintura de esa obra de arte es terriblemente fea.The painting in that artwork is terribly ugly.
- ¡Ese vestido es muy feo!That dress is very ugly!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are looking at a piece of modern art in a gallery.
- DanielEse cuadro es muy feo.That painting is very ugly.
- MaríaSí, es muy feo.Yes, it is very ugly.
- DanielNo me gusta nada.I don't like it at all.
- MaríaA mí tampoco, Daniel.Neither do I, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries feo, muy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
