alguien es genial
/alɡjen es xenjal/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'someone is cool' is translated into Spanish as alguien es genial.
What does it mean word for word?
alguien means 'someone' or 'somebody', and genial literally means 'great' or 'wonderful' in this context.
Which one should you use?
Eres genial means 'You are awesome', while Eres chévere, Eres guay, Eres bacán and Eres chido/chida are all informal ways to say 'You are cool'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The provided forms like Eres guay, Eres chévere, Eres bacán and Eres chido/chida are all informal. Eres genial is also informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations are common: guay is very common in Spain, chido or chida is used in Mexico and bacán is used in some Latin American countries.
Did you know?
- The word genial comes from the Latin word for 'guardian spirit' genius. In its original sense, it referred to things that were festive or related to marriage.
- The word bacán is used in countries like Chile, Peru and Colombia, but its meaning can shift from 'cool' to 'wealthy' or 'posh' depending on the local context.
- The Spanish word genial is a cognate of the English word 'genial', but in English, 'genial' usually means 'friendly' rather than 'awesome'.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué bien tocas la guitarra! Eres guay.You play the guitar so well! You're cool.
Example conversation
Maria and Daniel are talking about a new coworker.
- MaríaHe oído que el chico nuevo es muy simpático.I heard the new guy is very friendly.
- DanielSí, me parece que alguien es genial en la oficina.Yes, it seems to me that someone is cool in the office.
- María¿Tú ya hablaste con él, Daniel?Did you already talk to him, Daniel?
- DanielSí, es muy divertido y amable.Yes, he is very funny and kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, es, genial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
