Which one should you use?
While bonitos means pretty, you can use other adjectives to change the intensity of the compliment. Bellos is a stronger and more poetic term for beautiful, while hermosos is a more intense adjective used for a higher level of compliment. You may also use preciosos to express that the eyes are lovely or stunning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the word lindos may be used to describe beautiful eyes.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking, it is common and natural to add the indefinite article unos to the phrase, as in tienes unos ojos bonitos. You can also use the definite article los when referring to specific features, such as tienes los ojos bonitos, which is grammatically correct. Lindos serves as a common synonym for bonitos to mean pretty or cute. Note that if you are referring to only one eye, the adjective must change from plural to singular to match the noun, such as tienes un ojo bonito.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because ojos is a masculine plural noun, the adjective must agree in both gender and number. Avoid saying tienes ojos bonita, as the adjective must remain masculine plural to match ojos.
Did you know?
- The word ojo is used in various Spanish idioms to mean 'attention' or 'caution'. For example, saying ¡ojo! to someone is a common way to tell them to 'watch out' or 'pay attention'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, intense eye contact is more common and expected than in English-speaking cultures. Making a compliment like tienes ojos bonitos while maintaining a steady gaze is often seen as sincere rather than aggressive.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, instead of just saying eyes are 'pretty', people might say they have mirada, which translates to 'gaze' or 'look', implying the way the person looks at you is attractive.
Examples in context
- Permítame decirle que tiene usted unos ojos bonitos.Allow me to tell you that you have beautiful eyes.
- ¡Wow! Tienes unos ojos bonitos. ¿Has considerado ser modelo?Wow! You have beautiful eyes. Have you considered being a model?
- Tienes unos ojos chulos.You have pretty eyes.
- Tenés unos ojos bien lindos.You have really beautiful eyes.
- Tengo que decirte que tienes ojos bonitos.I have to tell you that you have pretty eyes.
- Me encanta tu sonrisa y tienes ojos bonitos.I love your smile and you have pretty eyes.
- Eres muy especial, tienes ojos bonitos.You are very special, you have pretty eyes.
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- MaríaMateo, hoy te ves muy guapo.Mateo, you look very handsome today.
- MateoGracias, María. ¿Y tú?Thanks, María. And you?
- MaríaTú tienes ojos bonitos.You have pretty eyes.
- MateoEres muy amable, muchas gracias.You are very kind, thank you very much.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
