Spanish is a beautiful language, a common way of describing someone or something as beautiful would be Hermosa, meaning “beautiful” and “gorgeous”.
In this article, we will delve into the various ways you can tell a captivating Spanish speaker that you like how they look using conversational Spanish. We will be discussing the differences in these adjectives such as Linda (lovely), Hermosa (gorgeous) and Bella (beautiful), and explain the finer points of their usage.
If your crush reciprocates your feelings and you’re ready to take the next step it would be worth learning how to say I love you in Spanish.
What Does Hermosa Mean?
When it comes to describing an object or a woman’s beauty, hermosa is one of the strongest Spanish adjectives. It expresses a higher degree of physical beauty than ‘Bonita’ or ‘Linda’. All three can be said about people, pets, or things, but hermosa in particular can carry a note of seduction or sexuality, depending on the situation. The word Hermosa implies physical attractiveness, and usually attraction by the speaker. This adjective can be applied to almost anything including things, animals, people, and even abstract ideas. When used correctly hermosa can mean beautiful in Spanish and shouldn’t be used lightly, as this word particular can carry a note of seduction or sexuality, depending on the situation.
An example of this word in use would be:
Hey, hermosa, ¿qué quieres hacer mañana?
(Hey, gorgeous, what do you want to do tomorrow?)
Me encantas, hermosa.
I’m crazy about you, gorgeous.
Mis vecinos tienen un perrito pomeranio tan hermoso.
My neighbors have a gorgeous Pomeranian puppy.
La casa tiene una hermosa terraza soleada con jardín privado.
The house has a beautiful sunny terrace with private garden.
Difference Between “Hermosa, Linda, and Bonita”
Hermosa
Hermosa, meaning gorgeous, is a higher degree of beauty than something you might describe as pretty. This adjective in Spanish is commonly used when complimenting women. You should use this word carefully, as when applied to women, it has a seductive flair to it.
This adjective is feminine, which means that it will only be used to describe a beautiful woman or pretty girl, as well as other Spanish nouns that are feminine.
Example:
Mi amor, te ves hermosa
(You look very gorgeous, my love)
Hola, hermosa, ¿cómo te va?
(Hey, gorgeous, how is it going?)
Esta hermosa dama es mi esposa
(This gorgeous lady is my wife)
Linda
This adjective is used the most often relating to beauty. It can be translated as “pretty” with a connotation sometimes similar to “nice” therefore it may not be as strong as other Spanish adjectives.
This adjective is used to describe the physical appearance of an object or a girl and can be used to say the same about a landscape, a meal, or a car.
Example:
Esas flores están lindas
(Those flowers are very nice)
Sofía y su hermana fueron muy lindas conmigo
(Sofia and her sister were very sweet to me)
¡Te ves muy linda, Sam!
(You look very cute, Sam!)
Bonita
Although this beautiful synonym is closely related to it’s not quite as strong as Bello. It is used to mean “pretty” or “nice”. It definitely surpasses ‘Linda’ and is used to talk about attractiveness in a delicate way.
This adjective is more common than Bello and, like Bello, can describe anything – not just a person.
Example:
Cuando era joven, tu tía era muy bonita
(When she was young, your aunt was very pretty)
Ayer vimos una película muy bonita
(Yesterday we watched a very nice movie)
La novia de Joe es muy bonita
(Joe’s girlfriend is very pretty)
Now that we understand the meanings of these words we can see that they are used for the same purpose but they are not synonyms, As a result, you will need to use each of them depending on what you want to say.
But why stop there? Spanish, like English, has a myriad of words that can be used to describe people, places, and objects. In the following section, we will be looking at additional terms of endearment which can help improve your conversational Spanish when Hermosa, Linda, and Bonita don’t suffice.
Additional Terms of Endearment
Bella / Bello
This is a safe, all-purpose Spanish adjective that you can use to mean “beautiful” or “lovely”. It’s a bit formal but it can describe anything from beautiful people, beautiful clothes, a beautiful view, or a beautiful mind.
Example:
¡Qué bello está su jardín!
(Your garden is looking lovely!)
Verónica – El cielo es un bello rosado esta noche.
(Veronica – The sky is a beautiful pink this evening.)
Finalmente, un bello paisaje es creado por un buen pintor.
(Finally, a beautiful landscape is created by a good painter.)
Guapa / Guapo
This adjective generally means “handsome” or “beautiful” and it’s almost exclusively used to describe a person and isn’t really used for beautiful objects or places. You do hear women being called Guapa, but it’s more common to hear them being called Bonita.
Example:
Aún en su vejez esa actriz es muy guapa.
(Even in her old age that actress is very beautiful.)
Hola, guapa, ¿cómo estás?
(Hi, beautiful, how are you?)
¿Cómo va todo, guapo?
(How’s it going, handsome?
Mona / Mono
This word has a plethora of other possible meanings. When used as an adjective, it is frequently used to mean “cute”, “nice” or “tender”. Use this word wisely as this Spanish nickname can also mean “monkey”
Example:
Qué camisa tan mona.
(What a cute shirt!)
¡Mira el cachorro! ¡Qué mono!
(Look at the puppy! He’s so cute!)
¡Vaya! ¡Qué vestido más mono!
(Wow! What a pretty dress!)
Preciosa / Precioso
This adjective is similar to the English word “precious”, but in Spanish, it also has the meaning of “gorgeous”. This word can be used to talk about people or objects that you consider really beautiful!
Example:
Este es un broche precioso. ¿Dónde lo compraste?
(This is a beautiful brooch. Where did you buy it?)
Qué perrito más precioso trae esa señora.
(What a precious little dog that lady has.)
Tu bebé es tan precioso.
(Your baby is so precious.)
Atractiva / Atractivo
This adjective literally means “attractive”. It can be used in pretty much the same way as in English to describe people, places or things that are good-looking or appealing.
Example:
Es una oferta muy atractiva, pero necesito tiempo para pensar.
(It is a very attractive offer, but I need some time to think about it.)
Quizá no sea una belleza clásica, pero es muy atractiva.
(She might not be a classical beauty, but she’s very attractive.)
Este presentador tiene una voz atractiva.
(This TV presenter has quite an attractive voice.)
Chula / Chulo
This adjective is an informal term meaning “cute” or “pretty.” Female friends and family call one another this word as a term of endearment and men may call their female significant others this in the same, sweet way.
Example:
¿Viste la novia chula de Ethan?
(Did you see Ethan’s cute girlfriend?)
Hey, este es chulo, eh?
(Hey, this one’s cute, huh?)
Qué chulo, mijo. Ese atuendo te queda muy bien.
(You look so cute, honey. That outfit suits you well.)
Divina / Divino
This adjective is a gorgeous meaning, and you probably won’t hear it often. It means “divine”; this is, relating to God. it is used to describe people, objects, or places with great beauty, and also lovely people.
Example:
Conocí a mi cuñada y es divina.
(I met my sister-in-law and she’s lovely.)
Este bolso es divino, creo que voy a comprármelo.
(This purse is divine; I think I will buy it.)
Mi abuela decía que los milagros existen y son obra del poder divino.
(My grandmother used to say that miracles exist and they are the work of the divine power.)
Radiante
Another adjective that’s similar to the English meaning “radiant” or “beaming”. It can also mean “splendid” or “joyful.” It’s not just limited to describing people but places or things as well. It is also important to note There is no masculine/feminine variation for this Spanish adjective.
Example:
Laura se veía radiante y hermosa en su fiesta de quince años
(Laura looked radiant and beautiful at her fifteenth birthday celebration.)
Hoy es un hermoso día, con un sol radiante y sin nubes.
(It’s a beautiful day today, with a bright sun and not a cloud in the sky.)
Les bendecimos a ustedes en la Luz del Uno Más Radiante.
(We bless you in the Light of The Most Radiant One.)
Agradable
The translation of this Spanish adjective is “pleasant” or “nice”. You can use this word to describe locations, people, and objects but if you use this word to describe a person, this mostly denotes that they are “pleasant”. There also isn’t a masculine/feminine variation for this word.
Example:
Nuestros vecinos son muy agradables.
(Our neighbour’s are very pleasant.)
El restaurante tiene un ambiente agradable.
(The restaurant has a nice atmosphere.)
El agua está muy agradable ahora mismo.
(The water is really pleasant right now.)
Sexy
This word is derived directly from the English meaning “sexy”. The spelling may vary and sometimes it’s written as Sexi to better match Spanish spelling rules. While this adjective is most often used to describe a person, it can also be used to describe things like movies or clothing.
Example:
Te ves muy sexy con ese vestido.
(You look very sexy in that dress.)
Mi novio se ve muy sexy cuando baila salsa.
(My boyfriend looks very sexy when he dances salsa.)
Mis fotos son 100% reales siempre estoy vestida sexi.
(My photos are 100% real I’m always dressed sexy.)
You’re Ready for a Spanish Summer of Loving!
Congratulations, with these attractive, appealing and splendid adjectives you’re on your way to becoming a Spanish Casanova. It’s important to put all that vocabulary into practice and the best way to do that is with the help of Spanish tutors.
If you’ve already settled down with your crush or looking to expand your household, consider including your family in Spanish learning.
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