es tan lindo
/es tan lindo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "he is so cute" is translated into Spanish as es tan lindo.
This can refer to a person's physical attractiveness or their sweet/kind personality. In informal conversations, the word mono can be used to express that someone is cute or adorable.
Which one should you use?
While lindo can mean cute or sweet, guapo is more specifically used to mean handsome or good-looking. Additionally, replacing tan (so) with muy (very) changes the emphasis from an intensive "so" to a standard "very", resulting in es muy lindo.
How do you pronounce it?
/es tan lindo/
Did you know?
- The word lindo likely evolved from the Latin word legitimus, which meant 'lawful' or 'proper'. Over time, the meaning shifted from being 'legitimate' to being 'pure' and eventually 'cute'.
- In Spain, calling someone mono is a common way to say they are 'cute', but be careful as the word also means 'monkey'.
- In some Latin American countries, calling a man lindo can be seen as more feminine or soft than calling him guapo, which is more traditionally masculine.
Examples in context
- Mira a ese bebé, es tan lindo.Look at that baby, he is so cute.
- Tu gatito es tan lindo.Your kitten is so cute.
- Ese perrito es tan lindo que quiero uno.That little dog is so cute that I want one.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at a photo of a puppy.
- Lucía¡Mira esta foto, es tan lindo!Look at this photo, he is so cute!
- JavierSí, es muy tierno.Yes, he is very sweet.
- LucíaJavier, ¿podemos adoptar uno?Javier, can we adopt one?
- JavierNo podemos, pero es muy bonito.We can't, but he is very pretty.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, lindo, tan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
