disperso
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “disperso” mean in English?
sparse, scattered — thinly distributed over a large area; not concentrated
sparse, scattered — thinly distributed over a large area; not concentrated (población dispersa, red dispersa)
Example sentences
La población está muy dispersa por el territorio.
The population is very scattered across the territory.
Los documentos estaban dispersos por toda la mesa.
The documents were scattered all over the table.
Es un estudiante disperso que se distrae fácilmente.
He is a scattered student who gets distracted easily.
How to use it
'Disperso/a' means scattered or spread out. Used with ser/estar. 'Estar disperso' suggests a current state; 'ser disperso' can describe someone easily distracted. The verb is 'dispersar(se)'. Common in geography (población dispersa) and attention contexts.
Common mistake
Don't confuse 'disperso' (scattered/spread) with 'separado' (separated/apart) — 'disperso' implies random spread, 'separado' implies deliberate distance.