estar bueno
/estaɾ bweno/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase 'someone is hot' is expressed as estar bueno.
The phrase is used to describe a person who is physically attractive or sexually appealing.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the verbs used. Use the verb estar to mean someone is physically attractive. Using the verb ser in the phrase ser bueno/a would instead mean that someone is a good person.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase estar bueno/a is colloquial and carries a strong sexual connotation, making it inappropriate for formal settings. For formal situations, you might instead use Usted es muy atractivo / atractiva or Es usted una persona muy guapa.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being described, so use buena for a woman and bueno for a man.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use estar bueno/a to say a person feels hot due to temperature. Use tener calor for that instead.
Did you know?
- While estar bueno is common, some regions use the phrase está cañón to describe someone who is exceptionally hot.
- In Spanish, describing a person as bueno using the verb estar implies they are 'tasty', similar to how food is described as good.
- Using estar bueno to describe a person in a professional setting is often seen as an act of sexual harassment rather than a simple compliment.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
