ustedes están locos
/ustedes estan lokos/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'you guys are crazy' can be translated into Spanish as ustedes están locos.
This phrase is an informal expression used to tell a group of people that they are behaving in a wild or irrational way.
Which one should you use?
The choice of verb is important for the meaning. Using están (from the verb estar) describes the people's current behavior as a temporary state. In contrast, if you were to say ustedes son locos using the verb ser, it would imply that being crazy is a permanent, defining characteristic of those people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb están is used because the phrase describes a temporary state of behavior rather than a permanent personality trait. Additionally, the gender of the adjective must match the group: if the group being addressed consists entirely of females, the adjective changes from locos to locas.
Did you know?
- If a group consists of both men and women, Spanish defaults to the masculine locos. However, if you want to be inclusive of all genders, some modern speakers use the symbol locxs or loces in writing.
- In Spain, you would more commonly say estáis locos instead of ustedes están locos when speaking to friends or peers. While ustedes is the standard for 'you guys' in Latin America, it can sound overly formal or distant in a casual Spanish setting.
- To intensify the phrase, speakers often add están loquísimos. The suffix -ísimo transforms 'crazy' into 'completely insane' or 'wildly crazy' without needing an extra adverb.
Examples in context
- ¡Están locos, chicos!You guys are crazy!
- No puedo creerlo, ustedes están locos.I can't believe it, you guys are crazy.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are watching their friends plan a spontaneous trip to the mountains at midnight.
- Daniel¿De verdad van a subir la montaña ahora?Are you guys really going to climb the mountain now?
- MaríaSí, ¡será una gran aventura!Yes, it will be a great adventure!
- DanielUstedes están locos.You guys are crazy.
- María¡Acompáñanos, Daniel!Come with us, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
