¡Qué lindo!
/ˈke ˈlindo/word by word
The English phrase "how cute" is translated into Spanish as ¡Qué lindo!
You can use ¡Qué lindo! to react to an animal, an object or a person's behavior. If you want to express how nice or lovely something is, you might also use the informal phrase Qué bonito/bonita. To emphasize extreme cuteness, an informal way to say someone or something is "good enough to eat" is Está para comérselo/comérsela. Additionally, you can add the diminutives -ito or -ita to the end of nouns or adjectives to express endearment and add a touch of cuteness.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (how/what) and lindo (cute/pretty).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Spain, if you are reacting to something that is "cool" rather than "cute", you might use the informal phrase ¡Qué guay! instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes: use linda for feminine nouns and lindo for masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈlindo/
Did you know?
- The word lindo may be a distant relative of the English word 'legible'. Both are thought to trace back to the Latin word legitimus, meaning 'lawful' or 'proper'.
- Spanish speakers often use ¡Qué lindo! sarcastically to react to a gesture that is actually annoying or fake. In this context, it functions similarly to the English phrase 'how sweet' when spoken with a roll of the eyes.
- While lindo is used throughout Latin America, speakers in Spain more frequently use bonito or mono to describe something cute. Using lindo in Spain can sometimes sound specifically like a Latin American influence.
Examples in context
- El bebé es una monadaThe baby is a cutie.
- El gatito está para comérseloThe kitten is so cute, I could eat it up!
- Mira ese bebé, ¡qué lindo!Look at that baby, how cute!
Example conversation
María shows Javier a photo of her new kitten.
- MaríaMira mi gatito nuevo.Look at my new kitten.
- Javier¡Qué lindo!How cute!
- MaríaSe llama Copito.His name is Copito.
- JavierEs muy pequeño.He is very small.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, lindo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lindo, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
