Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hermoso | /eɾˈmoso/ |
| bello | /ˈbeʝo/ |
| bel | /ˈbel/ |
While hermoso and bello are common, you might use bonito to describe something that is pretty or nice, though it often implies something less grand than hermoso. For breathtaking sights, magnificent objects or beautiful events where you want to emphasize splendor, a formal alternative is espléndido or espléndida.
Which one should you use?
The forms provided include hermoso, bello and bel. Note that bonito is a common alternative used for things that are aesthetically pleasing but perhaps less grand than something described as hermoso.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Caribbean Coast dialect, people may use bacano or bacana to describe someone or something as beautiful or cool.
How does it change in a sentence?
Spanish adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. For example, the feminine form hermosa is used for feminine nouns and the masculine plural form hermosos is used for masculine plural nouns. Similarly, the masculine plural form bellos is used for masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾˈmoso/
Did you know?
- While bello is common now, it was not used in the early Castilian 'Poem of the Cid'. It was likely borrowed from Old Occitan later in the 13th century.
- Using hermoso to describe a day can refer not just to the weather, but to the overall quality or luck of that day.
Examples in context
- La vida es bella.Life is beautiful.This sentence shows the use of bel to describe life.Tatoeba #2936 by Shishir, translation #1829 by CK
- El agua es bella.The water is beautiful.This sentence shows the use of bel to describe water.Tatoeba #5439765 by mferrer0000, translation #5395101 by Hybrid
- Es un día hermoso.It's a beautiful day.This sentence shows the use of hermoso to describe a day.Tatoeba #1359807 by marcelostockle, translation #318150 by CK
- El cuadro es hermosoThe painting is beautiful
- El concierto fue hermosoThe concert was lovely
- La joya es preciosaThe jewel is precious
- El paisaje es preciosoThe landscape is exquisite
- La catedral es espléndidaThe cathedral is splendid
- El atardecer fue espléndidoThe sunset was magnificent
- Tienes una casa muy bonitaYou have a very beautiful house
- El vestido que llevas puesto es bonitoThe dress you're wearing is pretty
- Ella es una persona linda por dentro y por fueraShe is a beautiful person inside and out
- Las flores se ven chéveresThe flowers look great
- 362 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a painting in a museum.
- MaríaMira este cuadro, es hermoso.Look at this painting, it is beautiful.
- JavierTienes razón, me encantan los colores.You are right, I love the colors.
- MaríaEl paisaje parece muy real.The landscape looks very real.
- JavierSí, es un trabajo hermoso.Yes, it is a beautiful piece of work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries hermoso, bello, bel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bel, bello, hermoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
