te ves muy bien
/te bes mui bjen/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you look great" is translated as te ves muy bien.
This phrase is a compliment used to tell someone that their current physical appearance is attractive. You might also use variations like Te ves increíble to say "You look incredible" or use the word atractivo/a to describe someone as "attractive". Another option is estás muy bien, though keep in mind this can also mean "you are doing great" depending on the context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te ves muy bien literally translates to "you see yourself very well". In this context, te ves means "you see yourself" or "you appear".
Which one should you use?
While te ves muy bien focuses on appearance, the slightly weaker version te ves bien means "you look good".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can use the informal expressions Te ves padrísimo or Te ves chido/a to say "You look great". In Spain, the phrases Estás guapo/a or Estás radiante are common ways to say "You look great".
How does it change in a sentence?
To address someone formally (usted), change te ves to se ve so the phrase becomes se ve muy bien (he/she/you formal looks great). To say "they look great", use se ven muy bien.
Did you know?
- The Mexican slang word padrísimo in te ves padrísimo comes from padre, which literally means 'father'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a compliment like te ves muy bien is often accompanied by a light touch on the arm or a kiss on the cheek to reinforce the social bond.
- The word muy in te ves muy bien evolved from the Latin word multum, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'multi'.
Examples in context
- ¡Te ves muy bien con ese vestido!You look great in that dress!
- Te ves muy bien con ese vestido.You look great in that dress.
- ¡Te ves muy bien hoy!You look great today!
- Te ves muy bien con el pelo corto.You look great with short hair.
Example conversation
María and Daniel meet at a coffee shop.
- María¡Hola Daniel! Te ves muy bien.Hi Daniel! You look great.
- DanielGracias, María. Tú también te ves muy bien.Thanks, María. You look great too.
- María¿Es por tu nueva chaqueta?Is it because of your new jacket?
- DanielSí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, muy, te, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
