buenas tardes, hermosa
good afternoon beautiful in Spanish is buenas tardes, hermosa.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used in the afternoon for a woman the speaker finds attractive. It is used specifically from midday until sunset.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buenas (good), tardes (afternoons) and hermosa (beautiful).
Which one should you use?
While hermosa is a common way to say beautiful, using bella would sound more poetic or formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective hermosa is in the feminine form to match the female recipient. If addressing a man, the adjective would change to the masculine form hermoso.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a stranger hermosa or bella in passing might be seen as a 'piropo', a casual compliment that can range from charming to considered street harassment depending on the context and tone.
- The word hermosa shares an unexpected linguistic root with the English word 'form', as both trace back to the Latin 'forma', which refers to a shape or outward appearance.
- The word tardes refers to the period from midday until dark, meaning buenas tardes is used much later into the evening than the English 'good afternoon'.
Examples in context
- Hola, buenas tardes, hermosa.Hello, good afternoon, beautiful.
- Buenas tardes, hermosa, ¿cómo estás?Good afternoon, beautiful, how are you?
Example conversation
Mateo greets Lucía at a cafe.
- LucíaBuenas tardes, hermosa.Good afternoon, beautiful.
- MateoHola, Mateo. Muchas gracias.Hello, Mateo. Thank you very much.
- Lucía¿Cómo ha ido tu día?How has your day been?
- MateoMuy bien, gracias por preguntar.Very well, thanks for asking.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buenas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
