genial
/xeˈnjal/
The Spanish word for cool is genial.
In a colloquial sense, genial is used to describe something that is cool, great or wonderful.
Meaning: having a slightly low temperature (adj)
Which one should you use?
While genial is used colloquially to mean cool in the sense of being excellent, if you are specifically referring to a slightly low temperature, you should use fresco instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word genial is invariable in gender, so it does not change to match a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/xeˈnjal/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse genial with the English word 'genial' (which means friendly or sociable). In Spanish, it primarily means 'great', 'wonderful' or 'cool'.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of genial relates to a 'guardian spirit' or 'genius', which is quite a leap from the modern Spanish use of the word to mean 'great'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want to say a person is 'cool' in a trendy way, you might use 'guay' in Spain or 'chido' in Mexico instead of genial.
- Depending on the context, genial can describe someone's intellect or brilliance, not just a 'cool' situation.
Examples in context
- Esto es muy genial.This is very cool.This sentence shows how to use genial to describe something as very cool.Tatoeba #4329362 by pchamorro, translation #2869070 by Hybrid
- Este lugar es genial.This place is cool.This sentence shows how to use genial to describe a place as cool.Tatoeba #4329399 by pchamorro, translation #3424120 by CK
- Esa es una idea genial.That's a very cool idea.This sentence shows how to use genial to describe a cool idea.Tatoeba #10097496 by manufrutos, translation #10095621 by CK
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about the weather outside.
- JavierEl aire afuera está genial hoy.The air outside is cool today.
- SofíaSí, es un clima muy agradable.Yes, it is very pleasant weather.
- JavierMe gusta cuando el viento es genial.I like it when the wind is cool.
- SofíaA mí también, Javier.Me too, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry genial, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries genial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
