Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| excelente | /eɡsθeˈlente/ /eɡseˈlente/ |
|
| excelso | /eɡsˈθelso/ /eɡˈselso/ |
|
| de buten | /de buten/ (from spelling rules) | |
| de bute | /de bute/ (from spelling rules) | |
| grosso | /ˈɡɾosso/ | |
| suavena | /swabena/ (from spelling rules) | |
| resuave | /reswabe/ (from spelling rules) | |
| vergón | /beɾˈɡon/ | colloquial |
| paja | /ˈpaxa/ | Peru |
| mostro | /ˈmostɾo/ | Peru |
The primary way to express that something is of the highest quality is with excelente, which can function as both an adjective and an exclamation. Other ways to express excellence include espléndido for something possessing splendor or magnificence, magnífico for something of exceptional quality and destacado when referring specifically to outstanding achievements or accomplishments. You can also use increíble to emphasize that something is beyond excellence.
Which one should you use?
While excelente is the standard term for high quality in everyday contexts, excelso is a much more formal and literary term used to describe something that is sublime or exalted.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Genial is an informal term used in conversation to express excitement or admiration, meaning 'great' or 'awesome'. In contrast, vergón is a highly colloquial slang term. While it means something is excellent or great, be aware that it can be considered vulgar in certain contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can use fabuloso or bárbaro to convey excellence. In Spain, estupendo and genial are popular choices. In Peru, the slang term paja is used colloquially to mean 'excellent' or 'cool' and mostro (a variation of monstruo) is used to describe a person or thing that is excellent or impressive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective excelente is invariant for gender, so it remains the same whether you are describing a masculine or feminine noun. To make the word plural, add an 's' to form excelentes.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡsθeˈlente/
Did you know?
- In Peru, the word paja can mean 'excellent' or 'cool', but in many other Spanish-speaking countries, it is a vulgar slang term referring to masturbation.
- The colloquial term vergón is derived from verga, a vulgar word for the male organ, making it an expression of excellence that can be offensive in formal settings.
- In Argentina, the word bárbaro is used to mean 'excellent' or 'great', despite its original meaning referring to uncivilized barbarians.
Examples in context
- Es un vino excelente.That's an excellent wine.This sentence shows how to use excelente to describe a wine.Tatoeba #449696 by Shishir, translation #42313 by CK
- El juego era excelente.The game was excellent.This sentence shows how to use excelente to describe a game.Tatoeba #531473 by Shishir, translation #47293 by orcrist
- Este vino es excelente.This wine is excellent.Tatoeba #11964847 by Seael, translation #11964844 by CK
- ¡Tu trabajo es excelente!Your work is excellent!
- Nuestra experiencia fue espléndida.Our experience was excellent.
- Las vistas desde esta montaña son magníficas.The views from this mountain are excellent.
- ¡Esa película fue genial!That movie was excellent!
- El concierto estuvo increíble.The concert was excellent/incredible.
- Tus habilidades son simplemente brillantes.Your skills are simply excellent.
- ¡El regalo que me diste fue fantástico!The gift you gave me was excellent/fantastic!
- ¡Qué tengas un excelente día!Have an excellent day!
- 90 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a meal at a restaurant.
- SofíaLa comida está excelente.The food is excellent.
- JavierSí, el servicio también es muy bueno.Yes, the service is also very good.
- SofíaEs un lugar excelente para cenar.It is an excellent place for dinner.
- JavierTienes razón, volveremos pronto.You are right, we will return soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excellent” translations and entries excelente, excelso, grosso, vergón, paja, mostro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
