What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te ves literally translates to "you see yourself", which is the standard way to express "you look [adjective]" in many Spanish dialects.
Which one should you use?
The adjective hermosa is the feminine form and must be used when addressing a woman, while hermoso is the masculine form and would be used if addressing a man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations exist depending on the area. In Latin America, you may hear ¡Hola! Te ves linda. to say "Hello! You look pretty." or ¡Hola! Luces hermosa hoy. to say "Hello! You look beautiful today.". In Spain, the phrase ¡Hola! Estás guapísima. is used to mean "Hello! You look gorgeous.".
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice of pronoun indicates your relationship with the listener. Using the pronoun te in hola, te ves hermosa signifies an informal relationship. To make the phrase formal, change te ves to se ve.
Did you know?
- Some linguists have compared the greeting hola to the Arabic phrase wal-lāh, which means 'by God!' or 'really?'
- In Spain, the word guapa is the most common way to say 'beautiful', but in many Latin American countries, this can sound overly forward or imply a purely sexual attraction.
- If you use the verb estar to say estás guapa, you are implying her beauty is a state of being at this moment, whereas ser would imply it is a permanent trait.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, señorita. Se ve hermosa hoy. Espero que disfrute de su día.Good morning, miss. You look beautiful today. I hope you have a wonderful day.
- ¡Hola! Te ves preciosa. ¿Quieres ir al cine conmigo?Hi! You look gorgeous. Wanna go to the movies with me?
- ¡Guapa! ¿Cómo estás hoy? Siempre luces increíble.Hey, beautiful! How are you today? You always look amazing.
- Hola, te ves hermosa hoy.Hello, you look beautiful today.
- Hola, te ves hermosa con ese vestido.Hello, you look beautiful in that dress.
- Hola, te ves hermosa bajo la luz del sol.Hello, you look beautiful in the sunlight.
Example conversation
Mateo greets Sofía at a party.
- SofíaHola, te ves hermosa, Sofía.Hello, you look beautiful, Sofía.
- MateoMuchas gracias, Mateo.Thank you very much, Mateo.
- SofíaMe encanta tu peinado.I love your hairstyle.
- MateoQué amable eres.How kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, te, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
