colérico
Lemma: colérico
Translation: angry; furious; choleric; hot-tempered; irascible (adjective)
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'cholericus', which comes from Greek 'kholerikos', related to 'kholē' meaning 'bile'. In ancient and medieval medicine, an excess of yellow bile was thought to cause anger and irritability. The English cognate 'choleric' shares this same origin and meaning, referring to one of the four temperaments in the ancient theory of humors, where those with a choleric disposition were believed to be easily angered and quick-tempered.
Example Usage
Su padre es un hombre colérico que se enfada por cualquier cosa.
His father is a hot-tempered man who gets angry about anything.
Tiene un temperamento colérico que le causa problemas en el trabajo.
He has a choleric temperament that causes him problems at work.
La respuesta colérica del profesor sorprendió a todos los estudiantes.
The teacher's angry response surprised all the students.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'cholera' (the disease) which makes people feel terrible - someone 'colérico' is terribly angry.
- Remember 'cole' (cabbage in Spanish) + 'rico' (rich/tasty) - imagine someone getting angry when their cabbage isn't tasty enough!
- Connect it to 'color' - someone who is 'colérico' is red with anger.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'colérico' is often used to describe someone's personality or temperament rather than just a temporary emotional state. It relates to the traditional theory of the four humors or temperaments (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic) which still influences how personality types are described in Spanish-speaking countries.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Colérico' is the adjective meaning 'angry' or 'hot-tempered', while 'cólera' is the noun meaning 'anger', 'rage', or 'cholera' (the disease).
This word:
Es un hombre colérico.
He is an angry man.
Confused word:
Sintió una gran cólera al enterarse de la noticia.
He felt great anger when he heard the news.
Notes: Both words share the same etymological root related to the concept of bile in ancient medicine.
Mnemonic: 'Colérico' ends in '-o', typically marking masculine adjectives, while 'cólera' ends in '-a', often marking feminine nouns.
Explanation: While they look somewhat similar, 'colérico' means 'angry' or 'hot-tempered', whereas 'colorido' means 'colorful' or 'vivid'.
Confused word:
El cuadro es muy colorido.
The painting is very colorful.
Notes: The stress falls on different syllables: co-LÉ-ri-co vs. co-lo-RI-do.
Mnemonic: 'Colorido' contains 'color' which helps remember it means 'colorful', while 'colérico' contains 'cóler-' which relates to anger.