Alright, let's talk about the Spanish word 'tontería.' It's a useful word that means 'foolishness' or 'a silly act or remark.' You'll hear this one a lot in everyday conversations, from the classroom to the office, and even in the news. It's not a super formal word, which is why it pops up so often in practical, real-world Spanish.
§ What 'Tontería' Means
- Spanish Word
- tontería (noun, feminine)
- CEFR Level
- B1
- Definition
- Foolishness; a silly act or remark. It can also mean nonsense or a trifle.
§ In the Workplace
At work, 'tontería' often refers to something that's not serious, a waste of time, or a silly mistake. It can be used casually among colleagues.
Dejemos de hablar de tonterías y volvamos al trabajo.
Let's stop talking nonsense and get back to work.
Ese nuevo procedimiento es una tontería completa.
That new procedure is complete foolishness.
§ In Academic Settings
In school or university, 'tontería' can be used to describe an irrelevant comment, a silly answer, or a distraction.
Por favor, no digas tonterías en clase.
Please don't say silly things in class.
Su respuesta fue una tontería sin sentido.
His answer was a senseless piece of nonsense.
§ In the News and Media
You might also hear or read 'tontería' in news reports or commentaries, especially when someone is dismissing a statement or action as trivial or absurd.
El político calificó las acusaciones de pura tontería.
The politician called the accusations pure foolishness.
No presten atención a esas tonterías que circulan en línea.
Don't pay attention to that nonsense circulating online.
§ Other Common Uses
Beyond these specific contexts, 'tontería' is very versatile. You'll hear it in casual conversations about anything that's considered trivial, silly, or not worth worrying about.
Deja de preocuparte por esa tontería.
Stop worrying about that trifle.
Es una tontería pensar así.
It's foolish to think that way.
Understanding 'tontería' helps you grasp more nuanced Spanish conversations. It's not just about knowing the definition, but also about recognizing the context in which it's used to convey a sense of dismissiveness, silliness, or triviality. Keep practicing with these examples, and you'll soon use it naturally!
Often Confused With
This is a good direct translation for 'tontería' in many contexts, especially for a single act or remark.
Can be used when 'tontería' refers to something that is illogical or makes no sense, similar to 'disparate'.
A more formal synonym for 'foolishness', useful when 'tontería' refers to a general lack of good sense.
Idioms & Expressions
"¡Qué tontería!"
What nonsense! How silly!
¡Qué tontería decir eso! (How silly to say that!)
neutral"Decir/Hacer tonterías"
To say/do silly things; to talk/act foolishly
Deja de decir tonterías. (Stop saying silly things.)
neutral"Es una tontería"
It's foolishness; it's a silly thing
Comprar eso es una tontería. (Buying that is foolishness.)
neutral"Pura tontería"
Pure nonsense; utter foolishness
Todo lo que dijo fue pura tontería. (Everything he said was pure nonsense.)
informal"No hagas tonterías"
Don't be silly; don't do foolish things
No hagas tonterías con tu dinero. (Don't be silly with your money.)
neutral"Una tontería como una catedral"
A huge/monumental piece of foolishness (literally: a foolishness like a cathedral)
Su plan es una tontería como una catedral. (His plan is a monumental piece of foolishness.)
informal"Decir una tontería"
To say something silly/foolish
Perdona, he dicho una tontería. (Sorry, I said something silly.)
neutral"Hacer la tontería"
To do something silly/foolish (often implies a single act)
Hizo la tontería de dejar su trabajo. (He did the silly thing of leaving his job.)
neutral"Caer en la tontería"
To fall for foolishness; to believe something silly
No caigas en la tontería de sus promesas. (Don't fall for the foolishness of his promises.)
neutral"Estar diciendo/haciendo tonterías"
To be saying/doing silly things (ongoing action)
Él siempre está diciendo tonterías. (He is always saying silly things.)
neutralEasily Confused
Often confused with 'tontería' because they share the same root, but they have different grammatical functions and meanings.
'Tonto/a' is an adjective meaning 'silly' or 'foolish' when describing a person, or a noun meaning 'fool' or 'idiot'. 'Tontería' is a noun referring to the foolish act or remark itself.
Es una persona muy tonta. (He is a very foolish person.) / ¡No seas tonto! (Don't be silly!)
Both 'tontería' and 'estupidez' can be translated as 'foolishness' or 'stupidity', leading to potential overlap.
'Estupidez' generally implies a higher degree of foolishness or a more significant lack of intelligence than 'tontería'. 'Tontería' can be a minor, harmless silliness, while 'estupidez' often suggests something more profoundly idiotic or absurd.
Cometió una estupidez al no estudiar para el examen. (He committed a stupidity by not studying for the exam.)
Similar to 'tontería' in that it refers to something illogical or absurd.
'Disparate' often refers to something that is nonsensical, unreasonable, or a wild statement. While a 'tontería' can be silly, a 'disparate' is more likely to be an absurd or illogical statement that makes no sense.
Lo que dijo fue un disparate total. (What he said was total nonsense.)
A 'tontería' can sometimes be a joke or a lighthearted remark, similar to a 'chiste'.
'Chiste' specifically means 'joke', something intended to be funny. A 'tontería' might be humorous, but it's not always intentionally a joke; it's simply a foolish or silly thing. A 'chiste' has the primary purpose of eliciting laughter.
Me contó un chiste muy gracioso. (He told me a very funny joke.)
Very close in meaning to 'tontería', making them almost interchangeable in some contexts.
'Bobada' is largely synonymous with 'tontería', both referring to a foolish act or remark. 'Tontería' might be slightly more common, but they convey a very similar sentiment of silliness or triviality. The difference is often more regional or stylistic.
No digas bobadas. (Don't say silly things.)
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a 'TON' of 'TEA' causing 'RIA' (a silly reaction). So, a TON-TEA-RIA is foolishness.
Visual Association
Picture a person doing something obviously foolish, like trying to juggle with incredibly oversized, heavy objects, and everyone around them is shaking their head, thinking, '¡Qué tontería!' (How foolish!)
Word Web
Challenge
Describe a time someone you know did something really foolish, using 'tontería' in your Spanish sentence. For example: 'Mi amigo hizo una tontería cuando intentó saltar ese muro.' (My friend did something foolish when he tried to jump that wall.)
Test Yourself 30 questions
Someone just said something silly.
Someone is dismissing an idea as foolish.
Someone is telling another person to stop saying silly things.
Read this aloud:
¡Qué tontería!
Focus: toh-nteh-REE-ah
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Eso es una tontería.
Focus: EH-soh es OO-nah toh-nteh-REE-ah
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
No digas tonterías.
Focus: Noh DEE-gas toh-nteh-REE-as
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'That is foolishness.' We start with 'Eso' (That), then 'es' (is), then 'una' (a), and finally 'tontería' (foolishness).
This means 'Don't say foolish things.' 'No' (Don't) comes first, followed by 'digas' (say), and then 'tonterías' (foolish things).
This translates to 'It was foolish to do that.' We start with 'Fue' (It was), then 'una' (a), 'tontería' (foolishness), 'hacer' (to do), and 'eso' (that).
No le hagas caso, lo que dice es una ___.
The context implies someone is saying something silly or foolish, making 'tontería' the correct fit. (Don't pay attention to him, what he says is foolishness.)
Dejó su cartera en el parque, ¡qué ___!
Leaving a wallet in the park is a silly or foolish act. (He left his wallet in the park, what foolishness!)
Discutir por eso es una completa ___.
Arguing over something insignificant is considered foolishness. (Arguing about that is complete foolishness.)
Pensó que era buena idea, pero resultó ser una ___.
The sentence implies that what was thought to be a good idea turned out to be foolish. (He thought it was a good idea, but it turned out to be foolishness.)
Sus comentarios fueron pura ___.
If comments are described as 'pura tontería,' it means they are entirely foolish or nonsensical. (His comments were pure foolishness.)
Es una ___ pensar que las cosas cambiarán solas.
Believing that things will change on their own without effort is often considered a foolish thought. (It's foolishness to think that things will change by themselves.)
No quiero oír más ___, por favor, habla en serio.
The context implies a request to stop hearing foolish remarks, making 'tonterías' the correct choice.
Decir que el cielo es verde es una completa ___.
Claiming the sky is green is a silly or foolish statement, so 'tontería' fits best.
A veces, suelta alguna ___ para romper el hielo.
People often say something silly or lighthearted to 'break the ice', making 'tontería' appropriate.
Considero una ___ perder el tiempo en discusiones sin sentido.
Wasting time on meaningless arguments is considered foolish, hence 'tontería'.
Esa idea de volar sin alas es una ___ total.
The idea of flying without wings is foolish or absurd, so 'tontería' is the right word.
No hagas caso a sus comentarios; son puras ___.
If someone's comments should be ignored, it's likely because they are foolish or nonsensical, thus 'tonterías'.
Choose the sentence where 'tontería' is used to describe a childish prank:
In this context, 'tontería' refers to silly actions, often associated with humor or playfulness, fitting the description of a childish prank.
Which of these best captures 'tontería' as a trivial or inconsequential matter?
Here, 'tontería' highlights the unimportance or insignificance of the discussion, making it a trivial matter.
Select the sentence where 'tontería' implies a lack of common sense or a foolish decision:
This sentence uses 'tontería' to describe a careless and unwise action, indicating a lack of common sense.
To say something is a 'tontería' can sometimes be a polite way of dismissing it as absurd.
Using 'tontería' can indeed be a softened way to imply that an idea or statement is nonsensical without being overtly confrontational.
'Una tontería' always refers to an action and never to a spoken remark.
'Tontería' can refer to both foolish actions and silly or absurd remarks, as indicated in its definition.
If someone says 'No digas tonterías,' they are encouraging you to be more imaginative.
'No digas tonterías' directly translates to 'Don't say foolish things' or 'Don't talk nonsense,' which is a plea for more sensible or realistic speech, not more imagination.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
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