você está bonito
In Portuguese, "you look good" is translated as você está bonito.
This phrase is used as a compliment to tell someone that they are physically attractive or well-dressed at the present moment. If you wish to say that someone looks healthy or well rather than specifically attractive, use você está bem instead.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between temporary appearance and permanent traits: você está bonito means you look good right now, whereas você é bonito means you are a handsome person in general. Additionally, if you want to compliment a female's appearance, you must use the feminine form bonita instead of the masculine bonito.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, you may hear the expression Você tá um arraso to mean "You look fabulous" or Você tá show de bola to mean "You look great".
How does it change in a sentence?
When complimenting a woman, you must change the masculine adjective to the feminine form bonita. To compliment more than one person, use the plural form vocês estão bonitos.
Did you know?
- The word você originally comes from the phrase vossa mercee, which literally meant 'your mercy'.
- In Brazil, the slang expression Você tá um arraso describes someone looking fabulous by using a word that can also mean 'a disaster' or 'a collapse'.
- In Brazil, you might hear the phrase Você tá show de bola to mean you look great, which literally translates to 'you are a show of a ball'.
Examples in context
- Você está bonito com essa camisa nova.You look good in this new shirt.
- Acho que você está bonito com esse corte de cabelo.I think you look good with this haircut.
Example conversation
Juliana and Lucas are getting ready for a party.
- JulianaLucas, você está bonito para a festa.Lucas, you look good for the party.
- LucasObrigado! Você também está linda.Thanks! You look beautiful too.
- JulianaQue gentil! Vamos logo?How kind! Shall we go now?
- LucasSim, vamos!Yes, let's go!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonito, está, você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
