9 Ways to Say Lazy in Spanish (Depending on the Region)
Learning a new language can be a lot of work. It leaves you exhausted and sometimes you just want to take a break, lay down, and watch whatever show people are talking about now.
Some people might call that lazy. Others call it self-care!
In any case, learning new vocabulary is always a good idea, so why not learn how to say lazy in Spanish? Let’s get into it!
Lazy in Spanish at a Glance
Below is a brief summary of how to say “lazy” in Spanish.
Spanish | English |
Lazy | |
Lazy (slang) | |
Lazy (formal) | |
Lazy (formal) | |
Vague/lazy | |
Slacker | |
Lazy (Chile) | |
Sly/lazy | |
A lazy person |
Most Common Ways of Saying Lazy in Spanish
Spanish is a very varied and colorful language. We have a lot of different ways to express ourselves, and the word lazy is no different! But not all of them are of commonly used. Here are the most common ways to say lazy in Spanish.
Perezoso/a
Perezoso/a is probably the most neutral way of saying that someone is lazy.
The word perezoso/a can work either as an adjective or as a noun, as almost all the other words in this list.
Incidentally, perezoso is also the Spanish word for the slow-moving sloth! Note that oso means “bear” in Spanish, and pereza is the word for laziness in general.
Spanish
- Daniela no quiere trabajar, es muy perezosa.
- Los perezosos son malos compañeros de trabajo.
English
- Daniela doesn’t want to work, she’s very lazy.
- Lazy people are bad co-workers.
Flojo/a
Flojo/a is quite informal, but in many Spanish-speaking countries, it’s probably the word you’ll hear the most for “lazy” in Spanish.
The word floja is widely used in both Latin America and Spain, and all Spanish speakers will understand it. It can also be translated to mean “weak”, but the context will make it obvious, which meaning you’re referring to.
Spanish
Eres muy flojo, Matías.
English
You’re very lazy, Matías.
Related to the word flojo is the expression dar flojera, as in, for example, Eso me da flojera. This means “I can’t be bothered” in Spanish.
Spanish
Me da flojera hacer las compras.
English
I can’t be bothered going shopping.
Holgazán/a
Holgazán/a is another common but very formal way of saying lazy in Spanish. It’s quite an old word with Arabic roots. It means “loafer” which is an older English term well.
Spanish
Mi hijo es un holgazán.
English
My son is a loafer.
For those interested, the Arabic etymology of holgazán is “الكسلان”, which reads “al-kaslaan” and sounds quite similar (note that you don’t pronounce the first h of words in Spanish). Literally this means “the lazy one”.
Haragán
Haragán is an even more literary word than holgazán/a. All Spanish speakers understand it, but it is also quite old-fashioned. This word also comes from Arabic.
Spanish
Hoy me desperté haragána.
English
Today I woke up lazy.
Etymologically haragán purportedly comes from the Arabic word for “animal”, which is “حيوان”, Hayawaan.
Fun fact: when you see a Spanish word with a lot of “a”s —and maybe an “h” somewhere, or an “al” at the beginning—, it’s very likely that it has an Arabic origin, as is the case for haragán.
For example, almohada (“pillow”), almacén (“store”), or alcohol (“alcohol”).
Vago
Vago/a as you might have guessed means “vague” but it also means “lazy”. This is a little more informal than the others, but don’t worry, it is very commonly used and you can use it in any situation.
Spanish
No le interesa mejorar, es demasiado vago.
English
He doesn’t care about getting better, he’s too lazy.
Remolón
Remolón/a is another way you can say lazy in Spanish. This word also has a cozy feeling to it; you’re a remolón when you stay in bed under your warm sheets. Here is an example:
Spanish
Ese gato remolón no quiere moverse por nada.
English
That lazy cat doesn’t want to move for anything.
Lazy in Spanish Slang
Besides the formal and common expressions, you can find several ways of saying “lazy” in a more casual or colloquial way. The most widely used slang term for lazy in Spanish is flojo, but there are many others.
Of course, we can’t list all of the slang words for lazy in Spanish — after all, there are many variants of Spanish, and laziness is a common subject of slang — but we’ll share some of the most interesting and commonly used slang terms for lazy here.
Huevón
Huevón/a is used mainly in Chile. It can mean “lazy”, but also many other things, like “dumb” or “irritating”.
The word huevón/a is usually not a compliment, but Chileans use it as a filler word, and it’s not strange to find people who, by saying huevón, just mean something like “dude”. Confused? Don’t worry: it’s all about the intention and the context. If you hear people using it a couple of times, you’ll get the vibe of it.
Spanish
Camila, termina tu tarea, no seas huevona.
English
Camila, finish your homework, don’t be lazy.
Tumbón
A tumbón/a is a person who likes being laid down. So in other words, a lazy person. Let’s see it in use:
Spanish
Esteban es muy tumbón.
English
Esteban is very lazy.
Zángano
A zángano is, in fact, a male bee. And in the beehive, male bees don’t make honey; that is, they don’t work. So, if you say that someone es un zángano, you’re saying that that person doesn’t work.
Spanish
No seas zángano, ordena tu habitación.
English
Don’t be lazy, tidy your room.
Expressions and Idioms About Lazy in Spanish
Besides the specific words, in Spanish, there are also a few sayings that touch on the theme of laziness. They are colorful and flashy, but luckily, their meaning is quite self-explanatory. Here you’ll find our favorite ones:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
A quien madruga, Dios lo ayuda. | God helps those who wake up early. |
El flojo trabaja dos veces. | The lazy work twice. |
Zorro que duerme no caza gallinas. | A sleeping fox doesn’t catch chickens. |
Domingo relajado | Lazy Sunday |