es fuerte
/es fweɾte/from spelling rules
To say someone is strong in Spanish, you say es fuerte.
The phrase is used to describe a person who has great physical power or mental resilience. While English may distinguish between being physically 'strong' and mentally 'tough', the Spanish word fuerte covers both physical and mental strength. You can also use it more specifically, such as saying someone es emocionalmente fuerte (is emotionally strong) or tiene un carácter fuerte (has a strong character).
Which one should you use?
In English, you might use different words for physical strength versus mental resilience, but in Spanish, fuerte is used broadly for both.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you may hear the slang term Es un/una grosso(a) to describe someone who is incredibly strong or skilled.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase es fuerte uses the third-person singular form of the verb ser, which is used here because strength is considered an inherent characteristic of the person.
How do you pronounce it?
/es fweɾte/
Did you know?
- While es fuerte refers to a person's enduring strength, changing the verb to está fuerte can actually mean that someone is 'ripped' or 'muscular' in a specific, visible way.
- In certain contexts, telling someone tiene un carácter fuerte can be a subtle, polite way of calling them 'difficult' or 'stubborn' rather than giving a compliment.
- The Spanish word fuerte is a linguistic relative of the English word 'forte', which refers to a person's strong point.
Examples in context
- Es increíblemente fuerteHe/She is incredibly strong
- Es físicamente fuerteHe/She is physically strong
- Ha demostrado una gran fortaleza al superar tantos obstáculosHe/She has shown great strength by overcoming so many obstacles
- Ella es muy fuerte.She is very strong.
- Él es fuerte y levanta mucho peso.He is strong and lifts a lot of weight.
- Ella es fuerte mentalmente.She is mentally strong.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about a friend who just overcame a difficult time.
- MateoLucía, ¿viste que Ana superó el problema?Lucía, did you see that Ana overcame the problem?
- LucíaSí, ella es fuerte.Yes, she is strong.
- MateoRealmente admiro su actitud.I really admire her attitude.
- LucíaYo también, es muy valiente.Me too, she is very brave.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, fuerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
