Descuida, es barato.
Don't worry, it's cheap.
Out on the street before lunch, he tells his father the bill won't be a shock, and es barato is all it takes.
From SWAT · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "cheap" in Spanish
barato
adjectivefeminine: barataplural: baratos
"Cheap" in Spanish is barato, or barata with a feminine noun: una casa barata. To compare prices, say más barato, cheaper. Barato only describes prices, so for a stingy person Spanish uses tacaño.
Hear "barato" in a real scene
A son puts his father's mind at ease. The video starts and stops on that line.
Barato and the words around it
From cheaper to dirt cheap, plus one saying worth knowing.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| más barato, más barata | cheaper |
| el más barato, la más barata | the cheapest |
| baratísimo | dirt cheap |
| económico | inexpensive, affordable |
| a buen precio | at a good price |
| Lo barato sale caro. | Buy cheap, buy twice (word for word: the cheap thing turns out expensive). |
Tip: Barato can hint at poor quality, as in basura barata. When you want to sound positive about a price, económico or a buen precio work better.
Grammar: barato, barata
Four points for talking about prices.
Match the noun
barato, barata, baratos, baratas: un bolígrafo barato, unas botas baratas.Cheaper and cheapest
Más barato means cheaper: Este es más barato. Put the article in front for the cheapest: el más barato, la más barata.Es barato or está barato
Es barato describes the usual price. Está barato says the price is low at the moment, like during a sale.A quick r
Say bah-RAH-toh with one tap of the tongue for the r, close to the tt in American butter.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El bolígrafo es barato.
The pen is cheap.
Es basura barata.
It's cheap junk.
Este es más barato.
This one is cheaper.
No es caro, es barato.
It isn't expensive, it's cheap.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗una casa barato
✓una casa barata
With a feminine noun like casa, the ending switches to -a.
✗Mi jefe es barato. (meaning stingy)
✓Mi jefe es tacaño.
Barato is about prices. Someone who hates spending money is tacaño.
✗muy más barato
✓mucho más barato
In front of más, Spanish uses mucho, not muy.
Real conversation: is it expensive?
A short dialog about a gift. Tap to listen.
You're out on the street looking for a gift, and Emilio stops to talk to you about it.
Hola, ¿es para un regalo?
Hi, is it for a gift?
Sí. ¿Es muy caro?
Yes. Is it very expensive?
No, es bastante barato.
No, it's pretty cheap.
Your turn to answer
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How to remember it
Barato starts with bar, the same as bargain. Find a bargain and you've found something barato.
Questions about "cheap" in Spanish
How do you say cheap in Spanish?
Barato, or barata with feminine nouns: una camisa barata. For cheaper, say más barato.
What is the opposite of barato?
Caro, expensive. You'll often hear the two together: No es caro, es barato.
How do you call a person cheap in Spanish?
Say tacaño, or tacaña for a woman. Barato is for prices and products.
How do you say "very cheap" in Spanish?
Muy barato or baratísimo. In Spain people also say está tirado when something costs almost nothing.
