genial
/xeˈnjal/
The English phrase 'doing great' can be translated into Spanish as genial.
genial is used to describe a situation that is going very successfully or to express that someone is feeling very well. While the English word 'genial' typically describes a friendly personality, the Spanish genial describes something that is excellent or wonderful.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Different regions have specific informal ways to say you are doing great: in Mexico, you can say Estoy de lujo. In Argentina, you can say Estoy bárbaro/a. And in Spain, the very informal and colloquial expression Estoy de puta madre is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that life or a specific situation is progressing well, combine the verb ir (to go) with genial, such as in the phrase ir genial.
How do you pronounce it?
/xeˈnjal/
When do people say it?
A colloquial way to say everything is going great is to use the expression Me va de película, which literally suggests things are going like a movie.
Did you know?
- In Argentina, the adjective bárbaro is a common way to say something is great, whereas in English 'barbaric' usually carries a very negative or violent connotation.
- The Spanish word genial traces its roots back to the Latin 'geniālis', which originally referred to things related to marriage or festive occasions.
- The phrase Estoy de puta madre is highly colloquial and contains a profanity, but in Spain it is frequently used to mean someone is feeling fantastic.
Examples in context
- Yanni le ha ido genial en la universidad.Yanni has been doing great in college.This sentence shows how to use genial to describe how someone's time at university is progressing.Tatoeba #10024926 by manufrutos, translation #10023658 by Amastan
- Me va genial.I'm doing great.This sentence uses genial to show how a person is doing.Tatoeba #6632793 by arh, translation #2247958 by CK
- Todo en el trabajo me va genial.Everything at work is going great for me.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are catching up at a cafe.
- Sofía¿Cómo te va todo, Javier?How is everything going, Javier?
- Javier¡Genial! Todo va muy bien.Great! Everything is going very well.
- SofíaMe alegro mucho de escucharlo.I am very happy to hear that.
- Javier¿Y a ti, Sofía? ¿Qué tal tu día?And you, Sofia? How is your day?
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.
