¡hola, guapo!
/ˈola ˈɡwapo/word by word
The English phrase "hey good lookin'" can be translated into Spanish as ¡hola, guapo!
This phrase is an informal greeting used to tell someone that they are physically attractive. While in English "hey good lookin'" can function as a playful idiom, in Spanish, ¡hola, guapo! is used more often as a direct compliment.
Which one should you use?
While ¡hola, guapo! serves as a direct translation of the sentiment, you may also use ¡Hola, guapísimo! to intensify the compliment. The suffix -ísimo makes the phrase mean "Hey, gorgeous!" or "Hey, very good looking!"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase ¡hola, guapo! is highly informal. It should only be used with people you know well or in very casual, flirtatious settings. For instance, the term buenorra is an informal way to describe an attractive woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending based on the gender of the person being addressed: use guapo for a man and guapa for a woman. Additionally, the adjective atractivo/a is modified based on the gender of the person being addressed.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola ˈɡwapo/
Did you know?
- While it sounds like a compliment, the word guapo traces back to the Latin word vappa, which actually meant 'flat wine' or a 'worthless person'.
- In some Spanish regions, it is common for waiters or shopkeepers to call customers guapo or guapa as a friendly gesture without any romantic intent.
- Before it became a term for someone attractive, guapo was used to describe a 'rascal' or a 'ruffian'.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, guapo!, qué bien te ves.Hey, handsome, you look great.
Example conversation
Javier greets Elena's brother in the hallway.
- Javier¡Hola, guapo!Hey, good lookin'!
- ElenaGracias, Javier.Thanks, Javier.
- Javier¿Vas a la fiesta?Are you going to the party?
- ElenaSí, voy ahora.Yes, I'm going now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, guapo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guapo, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
