vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Giggling" is a form of "giggle", a noun which is often translated as "la risita". "Silly" is an adjective which is often translated as "tonto". Learn more about the difference between "silly" and "giggling" below.
silly(
sih
-
li
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (foolish)
c. zonzo (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
How silly of me!¡Qué zonzo soy!
d. sonso (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
What a silly idea!¡Qué idea más sonsa!
3. (senseless)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
The haunted house scared them silly.La casa embrujada los dejó anonadados de miedo.
We laughed ourselves silly.Nos desternillamos de risa.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el tonto (M), la tonta (F)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I was just joking, silly!¡Solo estaba bromeando, tonta!
b. el bobo (M), la boba (F)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Don't put it there, silly!¡No lo pongas ahí, bobo!
c. el zonzo (M), la zonza (F) (Latin America)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
Come here, silly! I didn't mean it.¡Ven acá, zonzo! No lo dije en serio.
d. el sonso (M), la sonsa (F) (Latin America)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
No, silly, it's that button you have to press.No, sonsa, es ese botón que hay que presionar.
giggle(
gih
-
guhl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
b. la risa (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
She let out a giggle of joy and excitement when she found out that she won the prize.Se le escapó una risa de alegría y emoción cuando descubrió que había ganado el premio.
2. (colloquial) (fun) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
My friends and I went to the movie theater for a giggle after a long week.Mis amigos y yo fuimos al cine para divertirnos después de una semana larga.
We went diving into the freezing cold ocean for a giggle.Nos echamos un clavado en el océano helado en plan de broma.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. reírse tontamente
I have a nervous habit of giggling at the most inappropriate times.Tengo el hábito nervioso de reírme tontamente en los momentos más inapropiados.
giggles
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
a. risa tonta
We had a fit of the giggles when we saw Jamie come in the room.Nos dio un ataque de risa tonta cuando vimos a Jamie entrar en la habitación.
