guay
/ˈɡwai/
The Spanish word guay means cool or great.
guay is a slang term used to describe something as cool, great or awesome.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
guay is an informal adjective.
Is it said differently in some regions?
guay is characteristic of colloquial Spanish in Spain. In Mexico, speakers use padre or chido to express the same idea, while in Argentina, the word copado is commonly used with a similar meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, guay is invariable. This means it does not change to match gender or number. Unlike many other Spanish adjectives, it does not take an a ending for feminine nouns or an s for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡwai/
Did you know?
- The word guay has a distant relative in the English word 'woe', both tracing back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European roots expressing distress.
- While guay is ubiquitous in Spain, using it in Latin America can instantly mark you as a tourist or someone who has lived in Europe.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué guay!How cool!
- ¡Qué guay es tu coche!Your car is so cool!
- Esa película me pareció muy guay.I thought that movie was very cool.
- Es un plan muy guay para hoy.It is a very cool plan for today.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about a new music festival.
- ElenaMateo, ¿has visto el cartel del festival?Mateo, have you seen the festival poster?
- MateoSí, ¡el ambiente parece muy guay!Yes, the atmosphere looks really cool!
- Elena¡Es que es una idea guay!It is just a cool idea!
- MateoVamos a ir juntos, entonces.Let's go together, then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry guay, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guay, CC BY-SA 4.0.
