Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| raro | /ˈraɾo/ |
| bizarro | /biˈθaro/ /biˈsaro/ |
| extraño | /e(ɡ)sˈtɾaɲo/ |
The term is used to describe something that is deviating from the normal or is bizarre.
Which one should you use?
While raro can mean 'weird', it is also the standard word for 'rare' (as in uncommon or infrequent). Extraño is a very close synonym to raro, but often carries a slightly more formal or 'mysterious' connotation of strangeness.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Insólito/a is a formal word suggesting something unexpected, extraordinary or out of the ordinary. The word bizarro is colloquial.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective raro must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, using the feminine form rara for feminine nouns. To describe a group of people or things as weird, use the masculine plural form raros.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈraɾo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use bizarro to mean 'weird', but in traditional Spanish, bizarro means 'brave' or 'gallant' and using it to mean 'weird' is considered an anglicism.
Did you know?
- The word bizarro may have originated from the Basque word bizardun, which means 'bearded'.
Examples in context
- Tom no es raro.Tom isn't weird.This sentence is useful for saying that Tom is not weird using raro.Tatoeba #8799973 by diegohn, translation #2237030 by CK
- ¿No es eso raro?Isn't that weird?This sentence is useful for asking if something is weird using raro.Tatoeba #4505505 by jairovx, translation #2248708 by CK
- Es un poco raro.It's just a weird feeling.This sentence is useful for describing a weird feeling using raro.Tatoeba #7906926 by arh, translation #5740692 by CM
- El comportamiento de esa persona es muy extraño.That person's behavior is very weird.
- Tuve una experiencia muy rara cuando visité ese lugar.I had a really weird experience when I visited that place.
- Lo que sucedió fue absolutamente insólito.What happened was absolutely weird.
- ¡Qué raro se viste ese tipo!That guy dresses so weird!
- Tienes un gusto curioso para la música, ¿no crees?You have a weird taste in music, don't you think?
- ¡Ese chico es super friki!That guy is really weird!
- 79 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about a strange movie they just watched.
- LucíaEl final de la película fue muy raro.The end of the movie was very weird.
- DanielSí, no entendí nada de lo que pasó.Yes, I didn't understand anything that happened.
- LucíaToda la historia me pareció raro.The whole story seemed weird to me.
- DanielTienes razón, fue una experiencia extraña.You're right, it was a strange experience.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weird” translations and entries raro, bizarro, extraño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bizarro, extraño, raro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
