brillante
/bɾiˈʝante/
The Spanish word for shiny is brillante.
brillante is used to describe something that reflects light.
Meaning: reflecting light (adj)
Which one should you use?
In English, the word 'brilliant' is frequently used to describe intelligence, but in Spanish, brillante can mean both 'shiny/lustrous' and 'brilliant/extremely bright'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in number with the noun it modifies. For example, use brillantes when describing multiple shiny objects.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɾiˈʝante/
Did you know?
- While brillante describes light, the related verb brillar is used in the idiom brillar por su ausencia, meaning to be 'conspicuously absent'.
- When talking about jewelry, a brillante specifically refers to a diamond with a particular cut, rather than just a shiny stone.
- The term brillante is used in music to describe a 'bright' tone quality, particularly for instruments like the trumpet.
Examples in context
- La calva de Tom es brillante.Tom's bald head is so shiny.This sentence shows how to describe a bald head as shiny using brillante.Tatoeba #5643443 by arh, translation #11716470 by qwertzu
- No me gusta este papel, es muy brillante.I don't like this paper. It's too shiny.This sentence demonstrates using brillante to describe shiny paper.Tatoeba #2261556 by cueyayotl, translation #2261555 by _undertoad
- El acero inoxidable es brillante.Stainless steel is shiny.This sentence uses brillante to describe the appearance of stainless steel.Tatoeba #12379075 by carlosalberto, translation #12378905 by ddnktr
- El diamante es relucienteThe diamond is shiny
- El sol está resplandecienteThe sun is shiny
- La estrella se ve resplandeciente en el cieloThe star looks shiny in the sky
- El anillo de compromiso es relumbranteThe engagement ring is shiny
- Los cubiertos de plata son relucientes en la luz del sol.The silver cutlery is shiny in the sunlight.
- La joyería que llevas puesta es brillante y atrae la atención.The jewelry you are wearing is shiny and eye-catching.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are looking at a new car in a showroom.
- MaríaMira este coche, es muy brillante.Look at this car, it is very shiny.
- AlejandroSí, su pintura es realmente brillante.Yes, its paint is really shiny.
- MaríaMe encanta cómo brilla bajo la luz.I love how it shines under the light.
- AlejandroEs un color muy brillante y elegante.It is a very shiny and elegant color.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry brillante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
