How to Say “You Look Pretty” in Spanish

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te ves hermosa
/te bes eɾmosa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you look pretty" can be translated into Spanish as te ves hermosa.
This phrase is a compliment used to tell someone that their current appearance is attractive. You can add the word muy before the adjective to say you look very pretty.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase te ves literally translates to "you see yourself", which is the standard way to express "you look [adjective]" in many Spanish-speaking regions.

Which one should you use?

While hermosa means beautiful, it is a stronger compliment than bonita (pretty) or linda (cute).

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Mexico and many Central American countries, you can use te ves bonita/bonito to address both men and women informally. In Argentina and Uruguay, you can use te ves lindo/linda to express "you look pretty" informally. In Spain, it is common to say Estás guapo/guapa or Estás guapo/guapa hoy to convey "you look handsome/beautiful" in an informal context.

How does it change in a sentence?

The phrase te ves hermosa uses the feminine adjective hermosa, so it is used when speaking to a woman. To say "you look pretty" to a man, you must change the adjective to the masculine form hermoso.

Did you know?

  • The word guapa in Spain is used so frequently as a friendly term of endearment that a shopkeeper might call a stranger guapa without it being a romantic flirtation.
  • The form ves used in this phrase was borrowed from the Catalan language.
  • In Spanish, using estás instead of te ves often implies that the person looks pretty specifically right now or in this particular outfit, rather than being naturally beautiful.

Examples in context

  • Te ves hermosa con ese vestido.
    You look beautiful in that dress.
  • Hoy te ves hermosa.
    You look beautiful today.
  • Con el pelo suelto te ves hermosa.
    With your hair down, you look beautiful.

Example conversation

Javier meets Lucía at a restaurant for a date.

  1. Javier

    Hola, Lucía. Te ves hermosa.
    Hello, Lucía. You look beautiful.
  2. Lucía

    Muchas gracias, Javier.
    Thank you very much, Javier.
  3. Javier

    Ese color te queda muy bien.
    That color looks very good on you.
  4. Lucía

    Eres muy amable.
    You are very kind.

Sources

  • IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries te, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Scarlett Kimberley
Scarlett KimberleyHelp 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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