bella
/beʝa/from spelling rules
To say "belle" in Spanish, meaning a beautiful woman, use bella.
bella means beautiful and is used for a woman, as in Ella es una mujer bella, meaning she is a beautiful woman.
Meaning: beautiful woman (noun)
Which one should you use?
Spanish has several other words for beautiful. hermosa is common, as in Mi amiga es muy hermosa, my friend is very beautiful. linda is warm and friendly, as in ¡Eres una chica linda!, you are a pretty girl. guapa often describes how someone looks, as in Mi novia es guapa y muy inteligente. preciosa means lovely or precious, as in ¡Qué preciosa es tu casa!
How does it change in a sentence?
bella is the feminine form of the adjective. The masculine form is bello.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /beʝa/. The double l sounds close to the y in yes.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use bella for a man. Use the masculine bello instead.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, specifically in parts of Argentina and Uruguay, the ll in bella is pronounced with a slight 'sh' or 'zh' sound, making it sound very different from the standard 'y' sound.
- In many parts of Latin America, calling a woman bella can sound overly poetic or dramatic, almost like something from a classical poem rather than everyday speech.
- In certain formal contexts, bella is used to describe an 'art' as bellas artes, where it refers to the high aesthetic value of painting, sculpture and architecture.
Example conversation
Mateo compliments Elena on her appearance at a dinner.
- MateoTe ves increíble esta noche, Elena.You look incredible tonight, Elena.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo. Eres muy amable.Thank you, Mateo. You are very kind.
- MateoDe verdad, eres una bella.Really, you are a beautiful woman.
- ElenaMe haces sonreír, gracias.You make me smile, thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
