eres calvo
/eɾes kalbo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you're bald" is translated into Spanish as eres calvo.
eres calvo is a simple and direct way to express that someone has little or no hair on their head.
Which one should you use?
eres calvo describes a permanent characteristic of a person. In contrast, estás calvo can be used to describe a temporary state or the process of going bald.
Is it said differently in some regions?
To tell a group of people that they are bald in Spain, you should use sois calvos.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on who you are describing: use eres calva if you are speaking to a woman, and use son calvos to say "they are bald".
Did you know?
- The word eres is actually a linguistic fossil from the Latin future tense, meaning 'you will be', rather than the present tense 'you are'.
- While it might seem rude in English, calling a close friend calvo can actually serve as an affectionate nickname in many Spanish-speaking cultures.
- While 'calvo' describes the person, you might hear someone say they are 'pelón' in many Latin American countries, which is a much more colloquial and sometimes playful way to describe hair loss.
Examples in context
- ¡Eres calvo! Necesitas proteger tu cabeza del sol.You're bald! You need to protect your head from the sun.
- ¡Estás pelón! Eres mi amigo brillante.You're bald! You're my shining friend.
- ¡Eh, amigo! Te falta pelo, pero no te falta estilo.Hey, buddy! You're lacking hair, but you're not lacking style.
- No te preocupes, no eres calvo todavía.Don't worry, you're not bald yet.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are talking about new haircuts.
- DanielMe rapé la cabeza ayer.I shaved my head yesterday.
- Sofía¡Vaya! Ahora eres calvo, Daniel.Wow! Now you're bald, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Te gusta cómo me queda?Do you like how it looks on me?
- SofíaSí, te ves muy bien así.Yes, you look very good like that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries calvo, eres, CC BY-SA 4.0.
