crudo
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “crudo” mean in English?
stark, raw
stark, raw (harsh and unembellished; la cruda realidad; una visión cruda; also: uncooked — estar crudo)
Example sentences
El documental ofrece una visión cruda de la situación en las prisiones que incomoda pero que resulta necesaria.
The documentary offers a stark portrayal of conditions in prisons that is uncomfortable but necessary.
La cruda realidad es que muchas familias no pueden permitirse pagar el alquiler en las grandes ciudades.
The stark reality is that many families cannot afford to pay rent in major cities.
El país importa prácticamente todo el petróleo crudo que necesita para abastecer su sector industrial.
The country imports virtually all the crude oil it needs to supply its industrial sector.
How to use it
Crudo/a has two B2 senses: (1) raw/uncooked (food): carne cruda, verduras crudas — takes estar (condition); (2) stark/harsh/unvarnished (tone, reality): una descripción cruda, la cruda realidad, un retrato crudo — takes ser (classifying the manner or quality). At B2, sense (2) is the dominant non-food use. Collocations: la cruda realidad (the stark reality), una imagen cruda (a raw/harsh image), un lenguaje crudo (stark/blunt language), petróleo crudo (crude oil — separate compound). Note: crudo also means 'crude' as in unrefined (petróleo crudo).
Common mistake
Crudo in the food sense (raw/uncooked) takes estar: 'el filete está crudo' (the steak is raw — condition). In the figurative/tone sense (stark, unvarnished), it takes ser: 'el retrato es crudo' (the portrait is stark by nature). La cruda realidad is a fixed phrase meaning the harsh, bare truth — very common in journalism. Don't confuse petróleo crudo (crude oil) with the evaluative uses.