amable
/aˈmable/
The English word "kind" translates to Spanish as amable.
The word amable is used to describe someone who is benevolent, courteous, friendly or generous. While it refers to a person's kind or polite nature, do not confuse it with bueno, which more often implies being a "good person" in a moral sense.
Meaning: benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous (adj)
Which one should you use?
amable is used to describe someone's kind or polite nature. For the adverbial forms, Amigablemente can mean "Friendly" or "Nicely", while Amablemente means "Kindly".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial terms majo and maja are commonly heard in Spain, particularly in Madrid.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective amable changes to amables when describing a plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA pronunciation is /aˈmable/.
Did you know?
- While majo is used in Spain to mean 'kind', in some Latin American countries the word can be used to describe someone who is 'clever' or 'cunning' in a negative way.
- The Latin root of amable is 'amare', which means 'to love', suggesting that a 'kind' person is someone who is 'lovable'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, being amable is not just a personality trait but a social expectation, often involving more elaborate polite formulas than in English.
Examples in context
- Él es muy amable.He is very kind.This sentence is useful for describing someone as very kind using amable.Tatoeba #945530 by hayastan, translation #480142 by CK
- El niño es amable.The boy is kind.This sentence is useful for describing a boy as kind using amable.Tatoeba #758526 by Shishir, translation #46327 by CK
- Él es amable conmigo.He's kind to me.This sentence is useful for saying someone is kind to you using amable.Tatoeba #594579 by Shishir, translation #391578 by CK
- Mi profesor es muy amable.My teacher is very kind.
- El trabajador de la tienda fue muy cortés con los clientes.The store employee was very kind to the customers.
- Mi nueva vecina es muy amigable.My new neighbor is very kind.
- ¡Eres muy maja! Gracias por tu ayuda.You're very kind! Thank you for your help.
- Eres muy amable, además de tener un gran sentido del humor.You're very kind, in addition to having a great sense of humor.
- 147 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing a new coworker.
- Sofía¿Qué piensas de tu nuevo compañero?What do you think of your new coworker?
- AlejandroÉl es muy amable conmigo.He is very kind to me.
- SofíaMe alegra que sea un hombre amable.I'm glad he is a kind man.
- AlejandroSí, es un buen colega.Yes, he is a good colleague.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry amable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
