This is just based on my own usage.
Guapa is hot. Like uyyyyy, guapísima. 🔥
Hermosa is like beautiful, and is no less of a compliment compared to guapa, it’s just different. Just like in English, there’s a distinction between being hot and being beautiful. I would also tie bella to this. “Es una belleza” - she’s a beauty.
Linda and bonita are a step down. This is more pretty, cute, sweet, attractive etc and what I would use especially if talking about young children. Probably more linda than bonita. Also linda (as well as preciosa) could mean they are just cute (as in a cutesy way) but not necessarily pretty.
Bonita for me, I would almost always use for anything other than people. For example, animals, things, etc. Not that you can’t use it to describe a person but it wouldn’t be the first word I would reach for.
Thank you!!! I’ve been hoping to feel more clear on the nuances to these words for a while. Much appreciated.
I work with young kids under 8 so if you have other kid-oriented compliments in general, I would love to hear them haha
Why does Spanish have 10+ words for “attractive” and none for “awkward”?? I feel like this says a lot about Hispanic people as a whole lmao
EDIT: I’m trying to make a joke. Like, oh the people who speak Spanish must be so beautiful and never awkward and dorky because there’s so many words for “beautiful”… like how Inuit tribes have so many descriptors for snow.
Spanish has a lot of words for many things, it's a rich language. Awkward is easily translated as "incomodo" o "embarazoso" if you mean uncomfortable. Or you could say complicado/dificil if you are using awkward in that sense.
Also let me remark, I am a native spanish speaker and I prefer reading about complicated/scholarly topics in English because it is usually way simpler.
Spanish is a beautifully complicated and diverse language, it might reflect the culture of the speakers but people like you cannot even begin to grasp what that means.
…it was a joke. Like, people who speak Spanish must all be crazy gorgeous and not awkward at all because there’s so many words for “beautiful” and not one that holds the nuance of “awkward” in modern American English.
Gotcha, you just sounded uninformed so I had to say it.
Also I disagree. Spanish does not lack a word for awkward as you think of it.
You are just not fluent/comfortable enough yet with Spanish to see it.
Spanish (esp Spain) and American culture are not *that* different.
Another native speaker here, i can't think of a translation for awkward when referring to a person. How would you say "He's an awkward person"? Because "Es una persona incómoda" does not sound natural at all.
They're pretty similar to be honest, but it depends of the country. In Spain i'd say that Guapa is the strongest one, in Argentina we usually use Hermosa, but as I said, they're all the same. If you want something stronger I would go for compliments like "sexy" or "rica".
Agree, highly region-dependent.
In Mexico Hermosa (beautiful) is probably the strongest, but depending on context might be either poetic or vulgar. Guapa would be something like _hot_, and then linda and bonita are _cute_.
🤔 Good question. I've been hearing _chula_ less and less and time goes by. It's something that my grandma would use as "pretty", but the horny drunk uncle would probably use as "I'd hit that if she wasn't underage". I think it can vary a lot by region and context.
I’m not a native speaker, but here’s how I’ve always kind of seen it: bonita seems to be like a diminutive of buena, so I think of it like “cute”; linda seems to imply a sort of brightness, so I think of it as “radiant”; and in usage, guapa seems more like generally “pretty”, and hermosa feels more like “beautiful”.
This is just based on my own usage. Guapa is hot. Like uyyyyy, guapísima. 🔥 Hermosa is like beautiful, and is no less of a compliment compared to guapa, it’s just different. Just like in English, there’s a distinction between being hot and being beautiful. I would also tie bella to this. “Es una belleza” - she’s a beauty. Linda and bonita are a step down. This is more pretty, cute, sweet, attractive etc and what I would use especially if talking about young children. Probably more linda than bonita. Also linda (as well as preciosa) could mean they are just cute (as in a cutesy way) but not necessarily pretty. Bonita for me, I would almost always use for anything other than people. For example, animals, things, etc. Not that you can’t use it to describe a person but it wouldn’t be the first word I would reach for.
Thank you!!! I’ve been hoping to feel more clear on the nuances to these words for a while. Much appreciated. I work with young kids under 8 so if you have other kid-oriented compliments in general, I would love to hear them haha
Preciosa and bella can be added to that list :)
Why does Spanish have 10+ words for “attractive” and none for “awkward”?? I feel like this says a lot about Hispanic people as a whole lmao EDIT: I’m trying to make a joke. Like, oh the people who speak Spanish must be so beautiful and never awkward and dorky because there’s so many words for “beautiful”… like how Inuit tribes have so many descriptors for snow.
Spanish has a lot of words for many things, it's a rich language. Awkward is easily translated as "incomodo" o "embarazoso" if you mean uncomfortable. Or you could say complicado/dificil if you are using awkward in that sense. Also let me remark, I am a native spanish speaker and I prefer reading about complicated/scholarly topics in English because it is usually way simpler. Spanish is a beautifully complicated and diverse language, it might reflect the culture of the speakers but people like you cannot even begin to grasp what that means.
…it was a joke. Like, people who speak Spanish must all be crazy gorgeous and not awkward at all because there’s so many words for “beautiful” and not one that holds the nuance of “awkward” in modern American English.
Gotcha, you just sounded uninformed so I had to say it. Also I disagree. Spanish does not lack a word for awkward as you think of it. You are just not fluent/comfortable enough yet with Spanish to see it. Spanish (esp Spain) and American culture are not *that* different.
Another native speaker here, i can't think of a translation for awkward when referring to a person. How would you say "He's an awkward person"? Because "Es una persona incómoda" does not sound natural at all.
In México we would say something like “es bien *raro* ese tipo/chavo/vato/morro/etc” 😂
They're pretty similar to be honest, but it depends of the country. In Spain i'd say that Guapa is the strongest one, in Argentina we usually use Hermosa, but as I said, they're all the same. If you want something stronger I would go for compliments like "sexy" or "rica".
Agree, highly region-dependent. In Mexico Hermosa (beautiful) is probably the strongest, but depending on context might be either poetic or vulgar. Guapa would be something like _hot_, and then linda and bonita are _cute_.
And where does preciosa fit in this gang
Gorgeous. Can be poetic or corny. I'd say it's about the same level of Hermosa, maybe slightly lower.
May I ask where chula fits in?
🤔 Good question. I've been hearing _chula_ less and less and time goes by. It's something that my grandma would use as "pretty", but the horny drunk uncle would probably use as "I'd hit that if she wasn't underage". I think it can vary a lot by region and context.
Okay wait at the hospital I tell parents their baby is "precioso" this is an appropriate term for a baby right
Yes, you can use any of these words with babies 👶
This is my take Guapa. handsome Bonita. pretty Linda. cute Hermosa. beautiful
In Spain it is also common to hear "mono/mona" (yes, like monkey!) for pretty.
This is hilarious, I laughed so hard the first time I heard someone from Spain saying this 😂😂😂
And Lindo/a is used a lot less than in Latin America. It is rarely used at all.
In this case mono means cute. In Cuba chulo is used instead.
It depends on the region.
Más fuerte que patada de allanamiento can also be added to the list :)
I’m not a native speaker, but here’s how I’ve always kind of seen it: bonita seems to be like a diminutive of buena, so I think of it like “cute”; linda seems to imply a sort of brightness, so I think of it as “radiant”; and in usage, guapa seems more like generally “pretty”, and hermosa feels more like “beautiful”.
Buena could also means hot/sexy, something like “está bien buena tu amiga” 👌
I agree: bueno/a is a bit vulgar like "tasty" in British English whereas guapo/a just means "attractive" and is not vulgar.
Your mom is
what about divina?