How to Say “You Have a Pretty Smile” in Spanish

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tienes una bonita sonrisa
/tjenes una bonita sonrisa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you have a pretty smile" is translated into Spanish as tienes una bonita sonrisa.
This phrase is used as a compliment to tell someone that their smile is attractive. You can increase the intensity of the compliment by replacing bonita (pretty) with hermosa (beautiful), resulting in tienes una sonrisa hermosa.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of tienes (you have), una (a), bonita (pretty) and sonrisa (smile).

Which one should you use?

While tienes una bonita sonrisa is a standard way to say you have a pretty smile, using hermosa instead of bonita makes the compliment stronger. Additionally, tienes una sonrisa linda is often used to mean "you have a cute smile" and tienes una sonrisa preciosa translates to "you have a lovely smile".

Is it said differently in some regions?

In certain Latin American countries, you might hear the phrase tienes una sonrisa espectacular to say "you have a spectacular smile".

How does it change in a sentence?

In Spanish, the adjective bonita can be placed either before or after the noun sonrisa without changing the core meaning. For example, both tienes una bonita sonrisa and tienes una sonrisa bonita are correct.

Did you know?

  • The word sonrisa comes from the Latin subrīsa, which combined the prefix sub meaning 'under' with a word for laughing. This suggests that a smile is literally a 'sub-laugh' or a laugh held beneath the surface.
  • Placing the adjective before the noun, as in una bonita sonrisa, is not just a grammatical choice but often signals a more poetic or literary tone.
  • To describe a massive grin, Spanish speakers use the phrase sonrisa de oreja a oreja, which means a smile from 'ear to ear'.

Examples in context

  • Tiene una sonrisa bonita. Me alegra verla todos los días.
    You have a pretty smile. It brightens my day to see it every day.
  • Tienes una sonrisa linda. Siempre contagias alegría.
    You have a cute smile. You always spread happiness.

Example conversation

Mateo and Lucía are talking at a café.

  1. Mateo

    Hola, Lucía. Tienes una bonita sonrisa.
    Hello, Lucía. You have a pretty smile.
  2. Lucía

    Muchas gracias, Mateo. Qué amable eres.
    Thank you very much, Mateo. How kind you are.
  3. Mateo

    Es la verdad, te ves muy feliz.
    It's the truth, you look very happy.
  4. Lucía

    Gracias, me has hecho sonreír más.
    Thanks, you've made me smile more.

Sources

  • IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries sonrisa, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Monique Joanna
Monique JoannaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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