eres una rata
/eɾes una ɾata/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you're a rat" is translated into Spanish as eres una rata.
The phrase is used to call someone a snitch or an informant.
Which one should you use?
If you change eres to es, the meaning changes from "you are a rat" to "he/she is a rat" (es una rata).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb form eres, which corresponds to the informal singular "you" (tú).
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾes una ɾata/
Did you know?
- If you were to call a man a 'rat' in Spanish, you would still use the feminine una rata because the noun is fixed as feminine.
- While rata means a snitch in this context, it is also used in many Spanish-speaking countries to describe someone who is stingy or cheap.
- The verb eres is a rare survivor of a Latin future tense, meaning 'you will be', rather than the standard present tense.
Examples in context
- Lo sabes bien, eres una rata.You know it well, you're a rat.
- ¡No me mientas! Eres una rata.Don't lie to me! You're a rat.
Example conversation
Two friends are arguing after one revealed a secret.
- María¡Le contaste mi secreto a todos!You told my secret to everyone!
- JavierNo fue mi intención, lo siento.It wasn't my intention, I'm sorry.
- MaríaNo te creo, eres una rata.I don't believe you, you're a rat.
- JavierMaría, por favor, no me hables así.María, please, don't talk to me like that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eres, rata, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
