How to Say “Pretty” in Portuguese

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bonito
/buˈni.tu/
The English word "pretty" is translated into Portuguese as bonito.
Bonito is a versatile word used to describe people and things as pretty, handsome, nice or beautiful depending on the context. It is a common way to say pretty for both people and objects. In contrast, if you want to describe someone as beautiful in a poetic or old-fashioned way, you might use formosa(o). For more informal or slang expressions of physical admiration, you could use gata(o) to mean a hottie (particularly for women) or gostosa(o) to describe someone as attractive in a playful or flirtatious manner.
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)

Related words

Somewhat (adv): meio, bem, bastante.

How does it change in a sentence?

The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use bonita for feminine nouns, bonitos for masculine plural nouns and bonitas for feminine plural nouns. Additionally, if you want to say "somewhat" or "pretty" as an adverb (e.g., "pretty good"), you can use meio, bem or bastante.

How do you pronounce it?

{ "ipa": "/buˈni.tu/", "syllables": 3, "stressed_syllable": "2 of 3" }

Did you know?

  • The word bonito is also the name of a type of fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  • A person might use the slang term gato or gata to describe someone 'pretty', but this literally translates to 'cat' in English.
  • The adjective bonito is derived from the Latin word bonus, which means 'good'.

Examples in context

  • Isso é muito bonito!
    It's very pretty.
    This sentence shows how to use bonito to describe an object.
    Tatoeba #4837895 by Ricardo14, translation #2249369 by CK
  • Ela tem olhos bonitos.
    She has pretty eyes.
    This sentence shows how to use bonito to describe physical features.
    Tatoeba #1112776 by alexmarcelo, translation #1112775 by CM
  • É um nome muito bonito.
    That's a very pretty name.
    This sentence shows how to use bonito to describe an abstract concept like a name.
    Tatoeba #12042389 by carlosalberto, translation #4014234 by CK
  • Ela é uma mulher bonita
    She is a pretty woman
  • A paisagem é bonita
    The landscape is pretty
  • Ela é formosa
    She is beautiful
  • Ela é linda
    She is pretty
  • A festa foi muito linda
    The party was very pretty
  • Ela é uma gata
    She is a hottie
  • 30 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Mariana and Felipe are looking at a photo of a girl.

  1. Mariana

    Essa menina é muito bonita.
    This girl is very pretty.
  2. Felipe

    Sim, ela é bonita.
    Yes, she is pretty.
  3. Mariana

    O sorriso dela é bonito.
    Her smile is pretty.
  4. Felipe

    Verdade, ela é muito bonita.
    True, she is very pretty.

Sources

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Jasmine Dianne
Jasmine DianneHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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