vs 

QUICK ANSWER
"Inocente" is an adjective which is often translated as "innocent", and "tonto" is an adjective which is often translated as "stupid". Learn more about the difference between "inocente" and "tonto" below.
inocente(
ee
-
noh
-
sehn
-
teh
)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. innocent
El joven era inocente de aquellos actos.The young man was innocent of those actions.
b. not guilty (legal)
El acusado fue declarado inocente.The accused was declared not guilty.
a. naive
No soy tan inocente como para creer esas mentiras.I'm not so naive to believe those lies.
b. gullible
Es tan inocente que se cree todo lo que le dicen.She's so gullible that she believes everything she's told.
a. harmless
Los niños hicieron una broma inocente.The children made a harmless joke.
4.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(uninformed)
a. ignorant
Todavía es muy inocente sobre cómo funciona el mundo de los negocios.He's still very ignorant on how the business world works.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
masculine or feminine noun
a. innocent
Arrestaron por equivocación a un inocente.An innocent was arrested by mistake.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Media Group, Inc.
tonto(
tohn
-
toh
)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. stupid
Es tonta si se cree que su novio va a cambiar.She's stupid if she thinks her boyfriend is going to change.
b. dumb
No eres tonto. Es solo que el subjuntivo no es fácil de entender.You are not dumb. It's just that the subjunctive is not easy to understand.
a. silly
Siempre te vales de excusas tontas para no ir a visitar a tus abuelos.You always make silly excuses not to go visit your grandparents.
b. stupid
Fue un tonto error que nos costó caro.It was a stupid mistake for which we paid a high price.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
masculine or feminine noun
a. idiot
Soy un tonto. Metí el vaquero en el lavarropa y la billetera estaba en el bolsillo.I'm such an idiot. I put the jeans in the washing machine and my wallet was in the pocket.
b. fool
Eres un verdadero tonto si dejas los estudios.You're a real fool if you abandon your studies.
a. silly
"Tonto, los leones marinos no son leones acuáticos," dijo Mónica sonriendo."Sea lions are not aquatic lions, silly," said Monica smiling.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Media Group, Inc.