Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| vulgar | /bulˈɡaɾ/ |
| chabacano | /t͡ʃabaˈkano/ |
| ramplón | /ramˈplon/ |
In Spanish, vulgar can be used to describe things that are distasteful, uncouth or obscene. While it most commonly refers to a lack of refinement or obscene behavior, it can also be used in its literal sense to mean "common" or "ordinary," such as when referring to the common people (related to the noun vulgo).
Which one should you use?
While vulgar often implies obscenity or a lack of refinement, chabacano is more commonly used to describe something that is tacky, tasteless or of low aesthetic quality.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, chabacano/a is used to describe something as vulgar or tasteless.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective vulgar is invariable in gender, so it remains the same for both masculine and feminine singular nouns. However, it must change to vulgares when used with plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/bulˈɡaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word chabacano is also the name of a type of mango found in Mexico and the Philippines.
- In the Philippines, Chavacano is the name of a Spanish-based creole language spoken primarily in Zamboanga.
- The word chabacano may actually trace back to the Italian word for a cobbler, ciabattino, suggesting the term originated from the perceived low status of certain trades.
Examples in context
- Eso es vulgar.That's vulgar.This is useful for stating that something is vulgar.Tatoeba #2151111 by hayastan, translation #2111386 by CK
- La gente es muy materialista estos días, en el sentido vulgar, más que en el filosófico, de la palabra.People are too materialistic these days, in the vulgar, rather than the philosophical sense of the word.This illustrates the use of the word in the sense of 'common' versus the philosophical sense.Tatoeba #1279960 by marcelostockle, translation #1138688 by candistyx
- Tim produjo una vibración alveolar perfecta durante un minuto seguido. El resto de la clase de español envidiaba y despreciaba esta vulgar muestra de poder.Tim produced a perfect alveolar trill for a straight minute. The rest of the Spanish class envied and despised this vulgar display of power.This shows the use of the word to describe a display of power.Tatoeba #1331038 by Shishir, translation #707490 by papabear
- Su lenguaje es obsceno y no es apropiado para el lugar de trabajo.His language is vulgar and not appropriate for the workplace.
- No me gusta su humor tan guarro, es desagradable.I don't like their vulgar humor, it's unpleasant.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a movie they just watched.
- LucíaNo me gustó la película, me pareció muy vulgar.I didn't like the movie, I thought it was very vulgar.
- JavierTienes razón, el humor era demasiado grosero.You're right, the humor was too crude.
- LucíaSí, algunas escenas eran realmente vulgares.Yes, some scenes were really vulgar.
- JavierLa próxima vez buscaremos algo con más clase.Next time we will look for something with more class.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vulgar” translations and entries vulgar, chabacano, ramplón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chabacano, vulgar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
