simpático
/simˈpatiko/
The English phrase 'genial' can be translated into Spanish as simpático.
The word simpático is used to describe someone who is friendly, nice, likable or charming. It specifically refers to a person's pleasant personality. Do not confuse it with the Spanish word genial, which is a false friend. While the English 'genial' means friendly, the Spanish word genial means 'great', 'wonderful' or 'awesome'.
Meaning: friendly and cheerful (adj)
Which one should you use?
While simpático describes a person's pleasant personality, genial is used to describe something as being great, wonderful or terrific.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear guay, mola or molón as variations for 'genial'. In some Latin American countries, bacán and copado are used as alternatives.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being described: use simpática for a female and simpáticos when describing a group of men or a mixed-gender group.
How do you pronounce it?
/simˈpatiko/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use the Spanish word genial when you actually mean 'friendly' or 'likable'. In Spanish, genial means 'great' or 'awesome'. Use simpático to describe a person's friendly nature instead.
Did you know?
- The slang word guay, used in Spain as a synonym for genial, is believed by some linguists to be derived from the English word 'guy'.
- The word simpático actually shares a root with the English word 'sympathy', but in Spanish, it describes how someone is, rather than how they feel for someone else.
- While genial means 'great' in modern Spanish, its roots are tied to the word genio, meaning 'genius' or 'spirit'. To call something genial is to say it has the quality of a genius.
Examples in context
- ¡La película estuvo estupenda!The movie was fantastic!
- ¡Esa fiesta estuvo chula!That party was cool!
- ¡Tu regalo fue genial!Your gift was awesome!
- Esa canción es chidaThat song is awesome
- ¡Esta playa es guay!This beach is great!
- Tu hermano es muy simpático.Your brother is very friendly.
- El nuevo vecino es un chico simpático.The new neighbor is a friendly guy.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are talking about a new neighbor.
- MateoHola María, ¿conoces al nuevo vecino?Hi María, do you know the new neighbor?
- MaríaSí, Mateo, él es muy simpático.Yes, Mateo, he is very friendly.
- MateoMe alegra saber que es agradable.I'm glad to know he is pleasant.
- MaríaSeguro que te caerá muy bien.I'm sure you will like him a lot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry simpático, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
