Which one should you use?
You can use ¡Estás loco/loca de remate! to emphasize that someone is completely or extremely crazy. For a more colloquial tone, you can use ¡Estás chiflado/chiflada! to mean someone is crazy or mad.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear Estás como una cabra (literally: you're crazy like a goat) or Estás pirado/a (meaning: you're nuts). In Mexico, the phrase Estás mal de la cabeza is used to mean you're messed up in the head.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb estar (estás), which implies a temporary state of being crazy rather than a permanent mental condition. Use the feminine form estás loca if you are speaking to a woman. To address a group of people or to say "they are crazy", use the plural form están locos.
Did you know?
- The word loco may have its origins in the Arabic word for 'stupid', which was later reinterpreted by Spanish speakers to fit their own masculine and feminine grammar patterns.
- In some contexts, ¡estás loco! is used as a high compliment to describe someone with an incredibly bold or daring spirit.
- The word chiflado comes from the verb chiflar, which means to whistle, suggesting a 'whistling' or airy mind.
Examples in context
- Estás loco.You're crazy.This sentence is a simple statement of the phrase.Tatoeba #589639 by Leono, translation #2047350 by AlanF_US
- ¡Estás loco!You're crazy!This sentence provides an emphatic version of the phrase.Tatoeba #940800 by Shishir, translation #664251 by BlueLagoon
- "Profesor, ¿qué ha pasado?" – "Chicos, mi naranja estaba tratando de apoderarse del mundo con su negro … bigote!" – "Estás loco, ¿verdad?" – "Correcto.""Professor, what happened?" "Guys, my orange was trying to seize the world with his black… moustache!" "You're crazy, right?" "Right."This sentence shows the phrase used in a conversational context.Tatoeba #5990533 by albrusgher, translation #2841484 by Ooneykcall
- Está usted loco si cree eso.You're crazy if you believe that.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are talking about a wild idea for a trip.
- Daniel¡Quiero viajar a la Antártida mañana!I want to travel to Antarctica tomorrow!
- LucíaDaniel, estás loco.Daniel, you're crazy.
- DanielSolo es una idea divertida.It is just a fun idea.
- LucíaEs una idea imposible.It is an impossible idea.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries loco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
