Te ves genial
/te bes xenjal/from spelling rules
The phrase "you look cool" in Spanish is Te ves genial.
While it translates to "cool", the word genial often carries a stronger connotation of "great" or "wonderful" than the English word "cool". You might also use ¡Tienes mucho estilo! to say "You have a lot of style!" in informal settings, or guay as a colloquial way to describe something as cool.
Which one should you use?
A common alternative to express that someone looks good or "cool" is Te ves muy bien, which means "You look very good".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form Te ves genial uses the informal tú conjugation, which is appropriate for friends or peers. To use the formal usted version, change Te ves to Se ve.
Did you know?
- If you are in Mexico and want to say someone looks cool, you might use the word padre, which literally translates to 'father'.
- If you use guay to mean 'cool', you are using a word that some linguists believe comes from the English word 'guy'.
- The word genial is derived from the Latin geniālis, which originally referred to things relating to marriage or festive celebrations.
Examples in context
- Te ves genial con esa chaqueta.You look cool in that jacket.
- Te ves genial hoy.You look cool today.
- Con esas gafas, te ves genial.With those glasses, you look cool.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are at a coffee shop.
- Daniel¡Hola, Elena! Te ves genial.Hi, Elena! You look cool.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel. ¿Te gusta mi estilo?Thanks, Daniel. Do you like my style?
- DanielSí, es muy moderno.Yes, it is very modern.
- ElenaQué amable eres.You are so kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries genial, te, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
