alegre
/aˈleɡɾe/
The English word 'cheerful' can be translated into Spanish as alegre or risueño.
Meaning: happy (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| alegre | /aˈleɡɾe/ |
| risueño | /riˈsweɲo/ |
alegre is a general term for being cheerful, while other variations can intensify this feeling. For example, you might use the informal superalegre to intensify the feeling or the informal requetecontento/a to express an extra dose of cheerfulness.
Which one should you use?
alegre describes a general state of being happy or cheerful. In contrast, risueño specifically describes someone who is prone to smiling or has a 'smiling' disposition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective alegre is invariable in gender, so it remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To make it plural, add an -s to form alegres. However, risueño must change to risueña to agree with a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈleɡɾe/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, alegre can be used as a euphemism to describe someone who is tipsy or slightly drunk.
- In Spanish, alegre can describe not just a person, but also a color or a piece of clothing that is bright and vivid.
- The word alegre is actually a distant cousin to the English word 'alacrity', which describes a cheerful readiness or briskness.
Examples in context
- Es un joven alegre.He is a cheerful young man.This sentence uses alegre to describe a young man.Tatoeba #1714895 by Shishir, translation #304131 by CC
- Son gente muy alegre.They're very cheerful people.This sentence uses alegre to describe people.Tatoeba #2259674 by cueyayotl, translation #2259673 by _undertoad
- Él es un anciano alegre.He is a cheerful old man.This sentence uses alegre to describe an old man.Tatoeba #1342654 by Shishir, translation #68091 by CK
- El evento estuvo lleno de gente alegreThe event was filled with cheerful people
- La graduación de mi hijo fue un momento jubilosoMy son's graduation was a joyful moment
- Mi hermana se casó y estoy requetecontentaMy sister got married and I am absolutely delighted
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about a new coworker.
- Daniel¿Cómo es el nuevo empleado?How is the new employee?
- ElenaEs un hombre muy alegre.He is a very cheerful man.
- DanielQué bueno que sea alegre.It is good that he is cheerful.
- ElenaSí, ayuda mucho al equipo.Yes, he helps the team a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheerful” translations and entries alegre, risueño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alegre, risueño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
