un chico es lindo
/un t͡ʃiko es lindo/from spelling rules
To say "a guy is cute" in Spanish, you say un chico es lindo.
This phrase is used to describe a man or boy who is physically attractive or charming. You may also hear the phrase es lindo to mean "he is cute". In Spanish, the subject pronoun él (he) is often omitted because the verb conjugation already implies the subject.
Which one should you use?
To say "a girl is cute," you must change both the noun and the adjective to their feminine forms: una chica es linda.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the adjective mono is frequently used to mean "cute" or "pretty" when describing people or things, such as in un chico es mono. In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico or Central America, people might use the word chulo to describe someone attractive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase un chico es lindo uses the masculine singular form to agree with the masculine noun chico.
How do you pronounce it?
/un tʃiko es lindo/
Did you know?
- In Spain, calling a guy mono is a common way to say he is cute, though the word literally translates to 'monkey' in English.
- If you use the word chulo to describe a cute guy in parts of Latin America, be aware it can also mean 'pimp' or 'cocky' depending on the context and country.
- The word lindo likely evolved from the Latin word legitimus, meaning 'lawful' or 'proper'. It transitioned from meaning 'legitimate' to 'pure' and finally to 'cute' or 'beautiful'.
Examples in context
- Juan es un chico muy atractivoJuan is a very attractive guy
- Ese chico es un verdadero galánThat guy is a real heartthrob
- ¡Ese chico es muy guapo!That guy is really cute/handsome!
- Pedro es un chico tan lindoPedro is such a cute guy
- Me gusta ese chico, es muy bonitoI like that guy, he's very good-looking
- Tu novio es muy guapoYour boyfriend is very cute/handsome
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are looking at photos from a party.
- SofíaMira esta foto, un chico es lindo.Look at this photo, a guy is cute.
- AlejandroNo lo conozco, ¿quién es él?I don't know him, who is he?
- SofíaEs el hermano de mi amiga.He is my friend's brother.
- AlejandroTienes razón, es muy atractivo.You are right, he is very attractive.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chico, es, lindo, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
