Spanish mood vocabulary spanning emotions, expressions, and context. Master how to describe feelings and states naturally in Spanish.
Understanding how to express moods is essential for describing how you or others feel, setting the tone for conversations, and building emotional intelligence in Spanish. This guide covers key vocabulary for moods, including adjectives, verbs, and expressions to help you communicate feelings accurately.
Describing Moods with Adjectives
Adjectives are the most common way to describe moods in Spanish. They typically follow the noun and must agree in gender and number.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| feliz | felices | happy | happy (pl.) | Estoy feliz hoy. | I am happy today. |
| triste | tristes | sad | sad (pl.) | Ella está triste ahora. | She is sad now. |
| enojado/a | enojados/as | angry | angry (pl.) | Estoy enojado con él. | I am angry with him. |
| cansado/a | cansados/as | tired | tired (pl.) | Estamos cansados después del viaje. | We are tired after the trip. |
| nervioso/a | nerviosos/as | nervous | nervous (pl.) | Juan está nervioso por el examen. | Juan is nervous about the exam. |
| contento/a | contentos/as | content | content (pl.) | Estoy contenta con mi trabajo. | I am content with my job. |
| preocupado/a | preocupados/as | worried | worried (pl.) | Ella está preocupada por su salud. | She is worried about her health. |
| relajado/a | relajados/as | relaxed | relaxed (pl.) | Me siento relajado en la playa. | I feel relaxed at the beach. |
| aburrido/a | aburridos/as | bored | bored (pl.) | Los niños están aburridos en casa. | The children are bored at home. |
| emocionado/a | emocionados/as | excited | excited (pl.) | Estoy emocionada por el concierto. | I am excited about the concert. |
Expressing Mood with Verbs
Certain verbs help describe how someone feels or what mood they are in. These verbs are often used with reflexive pronouns and the preposition “de” or “por.”
| Spanish Verb | English Verb | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sentirse | to feel oneself | Me siento feliz. | I feel happy. |
| estar | to be | Estoy triste hoy. | I am sad today. |
| ponerse | to become | Me pongo nervioso antes de hablar. | I become nervous before speaking. |
| alegrarse | to become happy | Me alegro de verte. | I’m happy to see you. |
| enojarse | to get angry | Se enoja fácilmente. | She gets angry easily. |
| deprimirse | to get depressed | Me deprimo en invierno. | I get depressed in winter. |
| relajarse | to relax oneself | Me relajo con música. | I relax with music. |
| entusiasmarse | to get excited | Me entusiasmo por el partido. | I get excited about the game. |
| preocupar(se) | to worry oneself | Me preocupo por el examen. | I worry about the exam. |
| frustrarse | to get frustrated | Me frustro con los errores. | I get frustrated with mistakes. |
Common Mood Expressions
Idiomatic expressions are a natural way to talk about moods and emotions in everyday conversation.
| Spanish Expression | English Meaning | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| estar de buen/mal humor | to be in a good/bad mood | Estoy de buen humor hoy. | I am in a good mood today. |
| tener buen/mal humor | to have a good/bad mood | Ella tiene mal humor por la mañana. | She is in a bad mood in the morning. |
| estar como una cabra | to be crazy (colloquial) | Juan está como una cabra. | Juan is crazy. |
| estar en las nubes | to be daydreaming | Hoy estoy en las nubes. | Today I’m daydreaming. |
| echar humo | to get very angry | Cuando pierde, echa humo. | When he loses, he gets very angry. |
| estar por los suelos | to feel very down | Después de la noticia, estoy por los suelos. | After the news, I feel very down. |
| estar al borde de un ataque de nervios | to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown | Estoy al borde de un ataque de nervios. | I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown. |
| tener la piel de gallina | to have goosebumps | Tengo la piel de gallina con esta música. | I have goosebumps with this music. |
| tener un mal día | to have a bad day | Hoy tengo un mal día. | I’m having a bad day. |
| estar con la moral baja/alta | to have low/high morale | Después del partido, la moral está baja. | After the game, morale is low. |
Hoy estoy ___.
Choose the Spanish expression that means 'to be daydreaming'.
en las nubes
'Estar en las nubes' means 'to be daydreaming'. The others mean 'to get very angry', 'to feel very down', and 'to have a bad mood'.
Tengo ___ con esta música.
Choose the Spanish expression that means 'to have goosebumps'.
la piel de gallina
'La piel de gallina' means 'goosebumps'. The others mean 'a bad day', 'bad mood', and 'nerves'.
Describing Changing Moods
Moods can change throughout the day. Use these phrases to describe those shifts.
| Spanish Phrase | English Phrase | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| de repente | suddenly | De repente, me puse triste. | Suddenly, I became sad. |
| poco a poco | little by little | Poco a poco, me siento mejor. | Little by little, I feel better. |
| a lo largo del día | throughout the day | Mi humor cambia a lo largo del día. | My mood changes throughout the day. |
| al principio | at first | Al principio estaba nerviosa. | At first, I was nervous. |
| luego | later | Luego me relajé un poco. | Later I relaxed a bit. |
| al final del día | at the end of the day | Al final del día, estoy agotado. | At the end of the day, I’m exhausted. |
| dependiendo de | depending on | Mi humor cambia dependiendo del clima. | My mood changes depending on the weather. |
| según | according to | Según ella, hoy fue un buen día. | According to her, today was a good day. |
| con el tiempo | with time | Con el tiempo, me acostumbré. | With time, I got used to it. |
| mientras tanto | meanwhile | Yo cocino; mientras tanto, él descansa. | I cook; meanwhile, he rests. |
Conclusion
Mastering Spanish mood vocabulary and expressions allows you to convey your feelings more precisely and understand others on a deeper level. Practice using these words and phrases in context to build confidence and emotional nuance in your conversations.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular: happy
- English Plural: happy (pl.)
- English Example: I am happy today.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
