bonito
/boˈnito/
The English word "pretty" can be translated into Spanish as bonito or guapo.
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| bonito | /boˈnito/ |
| guapo | /ˈɡwapo/ |
Bonito is a versatile adjective used to describe people, objects, places or even abstract concepts such as an idea or a gesture.
Which one should you use?
While both words can describe attractiveness, guapo specifically implies that a person is physically attractive or handsome/pretty. In contrast, bonito can feel more like describing something as "cute" or "pleasant" depending on the context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they describe. For the word bonito, use bonita to describe feminine nouns. For the word guapo, use guapa to describe feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/boˈnito/
Did you know?
- Despite its current positive meaning, the word guapo originally meant a 'rascal' or a 'ruffian'. It evolved from a term used for someone behaving badly into a way to describe someone physically attractive.
- The suffix -ito in bonito is a common tool in Spanish to express affection or smallness, not just physical beauty.
Examples in context
- Tu pelo es bonito.Your hair is pretty.This sentence shows how to use the adjective bonito to describe hair.Tatoeba #1130119 by cueyayotl, translation #1130090 by cntrational
- Es bonito el lugar.The place is pretty.This sentence demonstrates the use of bonito when describing a location.Tatoeba #4824090 by cueyayotl, translation #4823929 by whitefishglobal
- Mi teléfono es bonito.My telephone is pretty.This sentence illustrates using bonito to describe an object like a phone.Tatoeba #1102380 by Shishir, translation #1102513 by ajgajg1134
- La señorita de la recepción es realmente hermosa.The young lady at the reception is truly beautiful.
- El traje de gala que llevas puesto se ve muy bonito.The formal suit you're wearing looks very pretty.
- ¡Mira esa foto! ¡Qué linda sales en ella!Look at this photo! You look so pretty in it!
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are looking at a photo of a child.
- María¿Viste la foto de la bebé?Did you see the photo of the baby?
- MateoSí, es una bebé muy bonita.Yes, she is a very pretty baby.
- MaríaEs verdad, tiene ojos bonitos.It's true, she has pretty eyes.
- MateoMaría, es realmente encantadora.María, she is truly charming.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretty” translations and entries bonito, guapo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonito, guapo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
