genial
/xeˈnjal/
The English phrase 'cool or awesome' is expressed in Spanish as genial.
The term genial is an informal way to convey enthusiasm and admiration for something cool. While the English word 'genial' refers to someone being friendly or pleasant, the Spanish adjective genial is most commonly used to mean 'great', 'wonderful' or 'cool'.
Which one should you use?
While genial is a widely understood way to say 'great' or 'cool', different regions and levels of slang use specific terms such as chido, padre, guay, chévere or copado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on where you are, you might use different words: chido and padre are popular slang in Mexico, guay is common in Spain, chévere is used in many Latin American countries and copado is frequently used in Argentina.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word genial is an adjective that can describe both people and things. To make the adjective plural to match a plural noun, add -es to get geniales.
How do you pronounce it?
/xeˈnjal/
Did you know?
- If you want to say something is 'really cool' in Mexico, you might use the word padre, which literally translates to 'father'. This is a common way to express that something is excellent or impressive.
- In its original Latin, the root of genial referred to 'marriage' or 'festive' qualities. It evolved from the idea of a 'guardian spirit' or 'genius' that brings good fortune to a celebration.
- In Spain, if you want to say something is 'cool', you might say guay, but be careful not to use it in certain Latin American contexts where it could be misunderstood as a reference to a different, slightly vulgar word.
Examples in context
- El concierto fue impresionanteThe concert was impressive
- ¡Ese concierto estuvo genial!That concert was awesome!
- Ese videojuego es muy padreThat video game is really cool
- ¡Qué guay es esa película!That movie is so cool!
- ¡Qué chévere está esa fiesta!That party is so cool!
- ¡Qué chévere es tu nuevo corte de pelo!Your new haircut is so cool!
- Ese coche es genial.That car is cool.
- ¡Qué idea tan genial!What a cool idea!
- El concierto estuvo genial.The concert was awesome.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing a new movie.
- María¿Viste la nueva película?Did you see the new movie?
- MateoSí, fue genial.Yes, it was awesome.
- MaríaA mí también me pareció genial.I also thought it was cool.
- MateoEs la mejor del año.It is the best of the year.
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.
