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bland and Spanish blando
In English
bland
tasteless / flavorless
In Spanish
blando
suave al tacto
Spanish "blando" means: soft
Why they get mixed up Spanish "blando" describes something soft to the touch or lacking firmness. English "bland" shares the Latin root "blandus" but drifted toward tasteless, flavorless, or lacking character. The tactile sense stayed in Spanish, the taste sense went to English.
If you want to say...
- bland (tasteless)soso
- softblando
- boringaburrido
Examples
The soup was bland.
La sopa estaba sosa.
His speech was a bit bland.
Su discurso fue algo aburrido.
The rice was bland, so I added salt.
El arroz estaba soso, así que le puse sal.
He has a bland personality.
Tiene una personalidad insulsa.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: La sopa estaba blanda.
Correct: La sopa estaba sosa.
Blando means soft. For tasteless food, use soso.
Incorrect: Su discurso fue muy blando.
Correct: Su discurso fue muy aburrido.
Blando is for soft texture or a soft attitude. For a dull speech, use aburrido or insulso.
Phrases you will hear
- bland foodcomida sosa
- a bland tasteun sabor soso
- a bland personalityuna personalidad insulsa
- a bland dietuna dieta blanda
- a bland speechun discurso aburrido
- a soft beduna cama blanda
In a conversation
- A:
How's the soup?
¿Cómo está la sopa?
- B:
A bit bland. Pass the salt, please.
Un poco sosa. Pásame la sal, por favor.
- A:
Here you go. The doctor said I should eat a bland diet.
Toma. El doctor dijo que debo comer dieta blanda.
- B:
Then it's perfect for you!
¡Entonces es perfecta para ti!
Test yourself
"Bland food" is food that is...
To remember it
Bland = tasteless/flavorless. Soft to the touch (Spanish "blando") = soft.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "blando" mean?
Spanish "blando" means "soft". It looks like the English "bland", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "bland" means "tasteless / flavorless".
Does English "bland" mean the same as Spanish "blando"?
Spanish "blando" describes something soft to the touch or lacking firmness. English "bland" shares the Latin root "blandus" but drifted toward tasteless, flavorless, or lacking character. The tactile sense stayed in Spanish, the taste sense went to English.