Spanish · Insults (Aimed at a Person)
Menso
MEN-soh · /ˈmen.so/
Silly / dummy / dim
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"Foolish / dim"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The grandma-safe idiot. "Menso" is what you call a kid who forgot his backpack — mild, almost fond, the kind of word on daytime TV. If you need to call someone dumb without any heat, this is your word.
Heard in the wild
Ay, menso, era broma.
Aw, silly, it was a joke.
Where it lands
Mexico (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Menso" mean?
- In Spanish, "Menso" means "Silly / dummy / dim". Literally it's "Foolish / dim". The grandma-safe idiot. "Menso" is what you call a kid who forgot his backpack — mild, almost fond, the kind of word on daytime TV. If you need to call someone dumb without any heat, this is your word.
- Is "Menso" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Menso"?
- Say it "MEN-soh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈmen.so.
Related in Spanish
Güey GWEY (rhymes with 'way') Dude / man (filler); also 'idiot' when aimed Pendejo pen-DEH-hoh Dumbass / idiot Baboso bah-BOH-soh Idiot / fool / dope Naco NAH-koh Tacky / trashy / classless Mamón mah-MOHN Stuck-up jerk / smug show-off Cabrón kah-BROHN Bastard / badass / dude — depends entirely on tone
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "You idiot".
- French Con Idiot / dumbass — the single most useful insult in French
- German Arsch Arse / ass — and the second great compound-engine of German
- Greek μαλάκας Asshole / idiot — OR — dude / mate. The single most important word in Greek.
- Italian Stronzo! Asshole! / Bastard!
- Japanese ばか Idiot / dummy / stupid
- Korean 바보 Dummy / silly — the soft, safe, often affectionate 'idiot.'
- Polish debil Moron / idiot — the standard hard 'you idiot.'
- Portuguese Otário Sucker / gullible fool / mug
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.