Which one should you use?
While esto es hermoso is a standard way to express beauty, you may encounter other variations. esto es bello is used in more poetic, literary or formal contexts, whereas esto es bonito is an informal option that is generally a step down in intensity, closer to saying "this is pretty" or "this is nice" in English.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people say Está bonita to express that something is beautiful. In Spain, you may hear Está precioso/a to describe something as beautiful or in some areas, Está guapo/a is used to describe something as beautiful.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the neuter pronoun esto, the adjective must be in the masculine/neuter form hermoso. You should not say esto es hermosa even if the object you are referring to is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/esto es eɾmoso/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the feminine adjective with the neuter pronoun. Do not say esto es hermosa. Instead, use the masculine/neuter form esto es hermoso.
Did you know?
- The phrase esto es hermoso can be used sarcastically in Spanish to describe a disaster or a 'beautiful' mess, similar to how English speakers use 'lovely'.
- Although bonito translates to 'pretty', using it for a person in some Latin American countries can be seen as childish or overly cute rather than attractive.
- The word hermoso shares its roots with the English word 'form', as it stems from the Latin 'fōrmōsus', meaning 'full of form'.
Examples in context
- No puedo creerlo, esto es hermoso.I can't believe it, this is beautiful.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at a painting in an art gallery.
- LucíaJavier, mira esta obra.Javier, look at this work.
- JavierTienes razón, esto es hermoso.You're right, this is beautiful.
- LucíaMe encanta el uso de los colores.I love the use of colors.
- JavierA mí también, es impresionante.Me too, it is impressive.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, esto, hermoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
