What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (how/what) and genial (brilliant/great/cool).
Which one should you use?
While ¡qué genial! is a standard way to express this sentiment, other forms are used depending on the specific nuance or region. For example, Está genial is used to describe something that is fantastic, awesome or excellent.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expressions provided are generally informal. For instance, ¡qué guay! is a common informal alternative and ¡qué padre! is an informal way to express the same sentiment in Mexico.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Spanish speakers use different words for "how awesome" depending on where they are. In Spain, you will hear the informal ¡qué guay! to mean "how cool" or "how great". In Mexico, the informal ¡qué padre! is common. In Central America and parts of the Caribbean, the informal Qué chévere is used to denote excitement or to say something is cool.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses a standard exclamatory construction in Spanish consisting of qué followed by an adjective to mean "how [adjective]".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke xeˈnjal/
Did you know?
- If you are in Mexico and say ¡qué padre! to mean 'how awesome', you are using a phrase that literally translates to 'how father'.
- The word genial comes from the Latin genius, referring to a guardian spirit. In its earliest Latin usage, it described things related to marriage or festive celebrations.
- The word chévere used in the Caribbean and Central America is thought by some linguists to have roots in West African languages brought to the Americas during the colonial era.
Examples in context
- ¡La película que vimos anoche estuvo súper chévere!The movie we watched last night was really cool!
- ¡El concierto de anoche fue increíble, estuvo muy guay!Last night's concert was amazing, it was so cool!
- El nuevo álbum de esta banda está simplemente genial.This band's new album is simply awesome.
- ¡Qué genial!How awesome!
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are talking about a new music concert.
- Sofía¡Tengo entradas para el concierto!I have tickets for the concert!
- Alejandro¡Qué genial! ¿A qué hora empieza?How awesome! What time does it start?
- SofíaEmpieza a las ocho de la noche.It starts at eight in the evening.
- AlejandroPerfecto, allí estaré.Perfect, I will be there.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, genial) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries genial, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
