celestial
/θelesˈtjal/
The English phrase 'heavenly' can be translated into Spanish as celestial.
The adjective celestial is used to describe things that are extremely beautiful or pleasurable. While it can be used in a poetic sense to mean 'extremely beautiful', it is more frequently used in a literal, astronomical or religious sense to refer to the sky or heaven.
Meaning: extremely beautiful or pleasurable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While celestial can have a poetic meaning of 'extremely beautiful', it leans more towards literal meanings of the sky or heaven than the English word 'heavenly' does. If you specifically want to describe something as being 'divine' or 'god-like', it is often more natural to use the word divino.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective celestial is invariant in gender, so it remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To make the adjective plural, add -es to form celestiales.
How do you pronounce it?
/θelesˈtjal/
Did you know?
- While celestial describes the heavens, the Spanish word for the color 'sky blue' is celeste, which shares the same root.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using celestial to describe a person's beauty can sound quite old-fashioned or overly dramatic, as if you were reading from a 19th-century poem.
- In Spanish, divino is often used colloquially to describe food or fashion as 'heavenly', whereas celestial would sound overly formal or religious in a restaurant.
Examples in context
- Mira las aves del cielo: ellas ni siembran, ni cosechan, ni juntan en graneros, y sin embargo, vuestro Padre celestial las alimenta. ¿No sois vosotros de más valor que ellas?Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?This sentence shows how to use celestial when referring to a heavenly Father.Tatoeba #5824700 by albrusgher, translation #5141861 by LeeSooHa
- Un consuelo celestial, no sé cómo, se apodera de mí.A heavenly comfort, I don't know how, takes hold of me.This sentence illustrates the use of celestial to describe a heavenly comfort.Tatoeba #10097009 by carlosalberto, translation #10097006 by carlosalberto
- Disfruté de una vista celestial desde la montañaI enjoyed a heavenly view from the mountain
- El aroma de las flores es divinoThe smell of the flowers is heavenly
- Nos relajamos en la playa, sintiéndonos divinamenteWe relaxed on the beach, feeling heavenly
- La música tiene un sonido celestial.The music has a heavenly sound.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are eating at a high-end restaurant.
- AlejandroEste postre es simplemente celestial.This dessert is simply heavenly.
- ElenaTienes razón, Alejandro, es delicioso.You are right, Alejandro, it is delicious.
- Alejandro¿No te parece que el sabor es celestial?Don't you think the flavor is heavenly?
- ElenaSí, es una experiencia maravillosa.Yes, it is a wonderful experience.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry celestial, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
