buena persona
/bwena peɾsona/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'nice person' is translated as buena persona.
While buena persona refers to someone's moral character (a 'good person'), it is the standard way to express that someone is a 'nice person' in a general sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase buena persona literally translates to 'good person'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may use persona maja to describe a 'nice person'. In many Latin American countries, the informal and colloquial expression buena onda can also be used to mean 'nice person'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because persona is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article una and the feminine adjective buena even if the person being described is male.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of persona originally referred to a theatrical mask. This implies that a 'person' was once viewed as the role or mask one wears in society.
- While buena persona is gender-neutral, the slang buena onda literally means 'good wave'. It refers to a person's positive energy or vibe, similar to the English 'good vibes'.
- Using buena persona focuses on moral integrity. If you want to say someone is 'nice' in terms of being friendly or polite, Spanish speakers often use the word simpático, which has no direct one-word equivalent in English.
Examples in context
- Bob es una buena persona.Bob is a nice person.Tatoeba #1406680 by marcelostockle, translation #33239 by CN
- No eres una buena persona.You're not a nice person.Tatoeba #2689897 by Shishir, translation #7783574 by Hybrid
- Noriko sí que es una buena persona, ¿o no?Noriko really is a nice person, isn't she?Tatoeba #1336097 by marcelostockle, translation #20236 by CN
- ¡Ese chico es muy buena onda! Siempre está dispuesto a ayudar.That guy is really nice! He's always willing to help.
- Mi vecina es una persona muy maja. Siempre tiene una sonrisa en el rostro.My neighbor is a really nice person. She always has a smile on her face.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are discussing a new neighbor.
- MateoEl nuevo vecino parece una buena persona.The new neighbor seems like a nice person.
- SofíaSí, es muy amable conmigo.Yes, he is very kind to me.
- MateoMe alegra que sea una buena persona.I am glad he is a nice person.
- SofíaTú también eres una buena persona, Mateo.You are a nice person too, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
