hermosa persona
/eɾmosa peɾsona/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'beautiful person' is translated into Spanish as hermosa persona.
This phrase is used to describe an individual who is either physically attractive or possesses a lovely personality.
Which one should you use?
While hermosa persona can imply a deep or profound beauty, the phrase persona guapa is more commonly used in casual conversation to specifically describe physical attractiveness.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, the terms lindo/a are used to describe a beautiful, cute or handsome person. In Spain, the phrase persona guapa is frequently used in casual settings to describe beautiful people.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, placing the adjective after the noun, such as persona hermosa, is the more natural and common word order. However, placing the adjective before the noun, as in hermosa persona, is often used to add a poetic, literary or more emphatic tone to the description.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾmosa peɾsona/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of persona originally referred to a 'mask' worn by actors in theater. This implies that a 'beautiful person' could be described by the image they project to the world.
- In Spain, you might hear someone called un encanto to mean they are a beautiful person in terms of their lovely personality.
- In many Spanish contexts, describing a person as bella instead of hermosa can feel more classical or even slightly old-fashioned, like saying 'fair maiden'.
Examples in context
- Señora López, usted es una bella persona.Mrs. López, you are a beautiful person.
- Don Roberto es una hermosa persona tanto por dentro como por fuera.Mr. Roberto is a beautiful person inside and out.
- El señor García es una persona de gran belleza y encanto.Mr. García is a person of great beauty and charm.
- ¡Hola, guapa! ¿Cómo estás hoy?Hi, beautiful! How are you today?
- Eres una persona muy bonita, tanto por fuera como por dentro.You are a very beautiful person, both inside and out.
- Mi amiga María es una persona encantadora, siempre pone una sonrisa en mi rostro.My friend María is a charming person, she always puts a smile on my face.
- ¡Mira nada más qué divina está esa persona!Just look how gorgeous that person is!
- Ella es una hermosa persona.She is a beautiful person.
- Eres una hermosa persona por dentro.You are a beautiful person inside.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a mutual friend.
- DanielMaría es una hermosa persona.María is a beautiful person.
- MaríaSí, y es muy amable.Yes, and she is very kind.
- DanielEs una hermosa persona, de verdad.She is a beautiful person, truly.
- MaríaTotalmente de acuerdo contigo, Daniel.I totally agree with you, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
