3 Key Translations of ‘Harto’ in Spanish and How to Use This Word
Several years ago, I first encountered the word harto in Spanish on a billboard in Guatemala.
It was a political advertisement during a presidential campaign that said Estoy harto de la corrupción political, which translates to “I’m fed up with political corruption.” This common word has varied meanings that depend on its combination with certain prepositions.
Harto is an adjective derived from the regular Spanish -ar verb hartar, and it has three principal meanings:
1. Tired of, fed up
2. Full, satisfied
3. Lots of, plenty of
Depending on the gender and quantity of the noun it is describing, the adjective harto may appear as harta (feminine singular), hartos (masculine plural), or hartas (feminine plural). The superlative form is hartísimo.
Keep reading to learn about the nuances of the word harto and discover how to use it in multiple contexts and situations.
How to Use Hartarse as a Reflexive Verb
If you want to use this word in its form as a reflexive verb (hartarse), be sure to conjugate the verb according to the indirect object pronoun you use. Here are some example sentences:
Uno de estos días me voy a hartar. (hartarme)
One of these days, I’m going to be pushed too far.
Se está empezando a hartar de ese trabajo. (hartarse)
She’s starting to get pretty sick of that job.
Creo que nos vamos a hartar del lugar por ir allá tantas veces. (hartarnos)
I think we’re going to get sick of that place since we’ve gone so many times.
Now, let’s take a look at the conjugations of the most common tenses of hartar. However, keep in mind that it’s much more common to hear harto in adjective form and combined with the verb. (More on that in the next section.)
Present Indicative
Yo harto
Tú hartas
Él/ella/usted harta
Nosotros hartamos
Ellos/ellas/ustedes hartan
Past Preterite
Yo harté
Tú hartaste
Él/ella/usted hartó
Nosotros hartamos
Ellos/ellas/ustedes hartaron
Future Indicative
Yo hartaré
Tú hartarás
Él/ella/usted hartará
Nosotros hartaremos
Ellos/ellas/ustedes hartarán
Present Perfect
Yo he hartado
Tú has hartado
Él/ella/usted ha hartado
Nosotros hemos hartado
Ellos/ellas/ustedes han hartado
3 Main Meanings of Harto
Although the roadside billboard I saw that introduced me to the word harto referred to being “sick and tired” or “fed up,” two additional translations of harto exist in English.
Let’s take a closer look at the three definitions of harto.
Meaning 1: Tired, Fed up, Exhausted, Jaded
The most common use of harto in Spanish expresses the idea that you’re fed up with someone, something, or some situation. In other words, you’ve had enough.
Synonyms: cansado, fastidiado, no poder aguantar, aburrido, ahíto, cebado, desencantado, empachado
Common Phrases and Example Sentences
1. estar harto de algo/alguien – to be sick of someone/something
Estoy harto de tí.
I’m sick of you.
Estoy harta de todo.
I’m (female) sick of everything.
2. estar harto de + infinitive – to be sick of (verb)
Estoy tan harto de estudiar.
I’m so sick of studying.
Estaba harto de tener que hacerlo todo para él.
She was tired of having to do everything for him.
3. estar harto de que + subject complement – to be fed up with…
Estoy harto de que una y otra vez traten de arruinar el proyecto.
I am fed up with them trying to ruin the project.
Estoy harta de que me juzguen por mis decisiones.
I am getting tired of people judging me for my choices.
4. tener harto – to have had enough
¡Me tienes harta!
I’m fed up with you.
Parece que el proyecto le tiene harto.
It looks like he’s had enough of the project.
Meaning 2: Full, Satiated
Imagine you’ve just finished a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. You are harto in the sense of having your appetite satisfied, being full, satiated, or even “stuffed.”
Synonyms: satisfecho, lleno, pasota, repleto, saturado
Example Sentences
Ya comí. Estoy harta, gracias.
I already ate. I’m satisfied, thank you.
Me harto a galletas.
I eat a lot of cookies. (“I stuff myself with cookies.”)
Me harté de la comida.
I’ve had enough of the food.
Meaning 3: Lots of
The last meaning of the word refers to a plethora or an abundance of something. In Latin America, harto placed before a noun means “a lot of,” “more than enough,” and “plenty.”
Synonyms: mucho, muchísimo, alto/a, un montón, una abundancia, bastante
Example Sentences
Había harta gente.
There were a lot of people.
¿Queda yogur?
Sí, harta.
Is there any yogurt left?
Yes, lots.
Falta harto para llegar.
There’s still a long way to go.
Me gusta la comida con harto ajo.
I like food with plenty of garlic.
Hace harto que no te veo.
It’s been a long time since I saw you.
Hay que estudiar español con harta frecuencia.
You have to study Spanish very often.
5 Harto Idioms and Sayings
A dicho is a constructed phrase that contains a maxim, observation or piece of common sense advice. Take a look at these five Spanish sayings that include the word harto.
Estoy harto y cansado de…
This translates pretty directly to the English phrase, “I’m sick and tired of…” (add complaint here).
Ni harto de vino.
This idiom means “no way” or “by no means.” Its synonyms include ni de guasa, ni loco, and ni muerto.
Al hombre harto, las cerezas le amargan.
This saying loosely translates as “To the person who is fed up, even cherries are bitter.”
In other words, if someone is too pessimistic and critical, they will not enjoy the sweetness of life. This quote also has another, more literal interpretation—someone who is fed up cannot enjoy food.
Amigos buenos y mirlos blancos son harto raros.
Good friends and white blackbirds are very rare. This poetic dicho reminds us to cherish good friends! And makes us wonder, is there such a thing as an albino blackbird?
El que bien vive, harto letrado es.
One who lives well is highly educated. It’s not a matter of how many degrees or certifications you have, being “educated” ultimately comes down to living well.
¡Practica Harto!
They key to improving your Spanish skills is to practica harto—practice a lot! Now that you’re an expert at using harto, why not continue to improve your Spanish grammar and speaking skills?
Homeschool Spanish Academy offers flexible and fun Spanish classes personalized to your level. Our native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala are happy to help you with grammar, spelling, and conversational skills. Sign up now for a free trial to see how quickly you’ll progress by talking to a professional, certified Spanish teacher!
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