tienes una cabeza grande
/tjenes una kabeθa ɡɾande/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you've got a big head" is translated into Spanish as tienes una cabeza grande.
This phrase describes someone who has a physically large head.
Which one should you use?
You may also hear Tienes una cabeza enorme to say you have a huge head or Tienes una cabeza descomunal to say you have an enormous head.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the adjective grande follows the noun cabeza to describe its size.
Did you know?
- While tienes una cabeza grande describes physical size, Spanish speakers use ser un creído or tener el ego inflado to describe someone who is arrogant.
- The word cabeza comes from the Latin capitium, which was actually a diminutive form of the word for 'head'.
- In some Spanish dialects, the word cabeza is used idiomatically to mean 'the brain' or 'the intellect' rather than just the physical skull. Saying someone has a 'big head' in a figurative sense might be misinterpreted as saying they are very intelligent.
Examples in context
- Tienes una cabeza grande.You have a big head.
- Parece que tienes una cabeza grande en esta foto.It looks like you have a big head in this photo.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking at a funny photo in a photo album.
- Lucía¡Mira esta foto de Alejandro!Look at this photo of Alejandro!
- Alejandro¿Por qué? ¿Qué pasa?Why? What is wrong?
- LucíaEs que tienes una cabeza grande en esta imagen.It is just that you have a big head in this image.
- Alejandro¡No puede ser, es el ángulo!No way, it is the angle!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cabeza, grande, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
