tonto (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

Noun and Adjective

Phonetic Transcription

tonto /'ton.to/

Meanings

• As a noun, "tonto" means a foolish or stupid person.
• As an adjective, "tonto" means foolish or silly.

Usage and Frequency

The word "tonto" is commonly used in both oral and written Spanish. It is a casual term and can be used in a playful or teasing manner. It is more frequent in oral speech than in formal written contexts.

Verb Forms

"tonto" is not a verb, so it does not have different forms in verb tenses.

Example Phrases

1. Eres muy tonto.

2. You are very foolish.

3. No seas tonto, piénsalo bien.

4. Don't be silly, think it through.

Idiomatic Expressions

"Tonto" is frequently used in Spanish idiomatic expressions to convey different meanings. Here are some examples:

1. "Hacer el tonto"
2. Meaning: To act silly or fool around.

3. Example: Deja de hacer el tonto y ponte a estudiar.

   • Translation: Stop fooling around and start studying.

4. "Más tonto que Abundio"

5. Meaning: Extremely foolish or stupid.

6. Example: Creer eso es más tonto que Abundio.

   • Translation: Believing that is extremely foolish.

7. "Tonto útil"

8. Meaning: A person used or manipulated for foolish tasks.

9. Example: Lo utilizaban como tonto útil para sus travesuras.

   • Translation: They used him as a useful fool for their mischief.

10. "Tonto del bote"

11. Meaning: An overly foolish person.
12. Example: No le hagas caso, es un tonto del bote.
    • Translation: Don't pay attention to him, he's a complete fool.

Etymology

The word "tonto" comes from the Latin term "tontus," which means stupid or foolish.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms: bobo, necio, estúpido
Antonyms: inteligente, astuto, sagaz