fue genial
/fwe xenjal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "it was great" is expressed in Spanish as fue genial.
This phrase is used to describe a past experience or event as being very enjoyable or positive.
Which one should you use?
While fue genial describes a specific, completed event, the form era genial is used to describe how something used to be or to set a scene in the past (habitually or continuously).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase fue genial uses the preterite tense of the verb ser to describe a completed past event or experience.
Did you know?
- The word genial in Spanish does not actually mean 'genial' in the English sense of being friendly or pleasant. While it shares a Latin root, in many Spanish-speaking contexts, it refers specifically to something being 'brilliant' or 'excellent'.
- The word genial stems from the Latin 'genius', which originally referred to a 'guardian spirit' that accompanied a person from birth.
- In Spain, people often use the word guay instead of genial to describe a great experience. Saying fue guay is a very common, trendy way to express that something was 'cool' or 'great'.
Examples in context
- Fue genial trabajar con Tom.It was great working with Tom.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase fue genial.Tatoeba #10110699 by escudo119, translation #5780538 by CK
- El concierto de anoche fue estupendo.Last night's concert was great.
- La presentación resultó excelente.The presentation turned out excellent.
- ¡La película estuvo genial!The movie was awesome!
- ¡La comida estuvo de lujo!The food was luxurious!
- La fiesta de ayer fue genial.Yesterday's party was great.
- Tu presentación fue genial.Your presentation was great.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about a concert they attended.
- Lucía¿Te gustó el concierto?Did you like the concert?
- DanielSí, fue genial.Yes, it was great.
- LucíaMe alegro mucho, Daniel.I am very glad, Daniel.
- DanielDe verdad que sí.It really was.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries genial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
