Which one should you use?
While él es hermoso is correct, él es guapo is a more common, everyday way to say a man is handsome or good-looking. For a more poetic or literary tone, you can use él es bello.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, él es guapo is regularly used to describe someone as handsome, good-looking or attractive. In Mexico, él es bonito can be used casually to describe someone as cute or pretty.
How does it change in a sentence?
For example, él está guapo hoy emphasizes temporary appearance (he looks handsome today). Additionally, él es atractivo can mean someone is attractive, appealing or charming.
How do you pronounce it?
/el es eɾmoso/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with gender and number agreement. Since él is masculine and singular, you must use the masculine singular adjective hermoso. Avoid saying él es hermosa, which uses the feminine form and avoid él es hermosos, which incorrectly uses the plural ending.
Did you know?
- The word hermoso shares a common ancestor with the English word 'form', both originating from the Latin 'formōsus' which refers to something having a beautiful shape or structure.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, hermoso is used to describe a baby or a pet regardless of their actual beauty, acting more as a term of endearment like 'sweetie'.
- While hermoso is very high praise, using bonito for a man can sometimes sound slightly patronizing or overly sweet, as it is frequently used for children or objects.
Examples in context
- ¡Él es hermoso como un dios!He is beautiful like a god!This sentence is useful for illustrating how to use él es hermoso in a comparison.Tatoeba #1510034 by marcelostockle, translation #1507900 by rileyphone
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are looking at a photo of a male model.
- Daniel¿Qué piensas de este modelo?What do you think of this model?
- Sofía¡Wow! Él es hermoso.Wow! He is beautiful.
- DanielTienes razón, es muy atractivo.You are right, he is very attractive.
- SofíaSí, tiene una cara perfecta.Yes, he has a perfect face.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, hermoso, él, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
