Which one should you use?
While você é bonita means "you're pretty", using você é linda expresses a stronger level of beauty, closer to "you're beautiful".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, you can say Tu és bonito to a man or Tu és bonita to a woman to express admiration. In Brazil, it is usual to use the terms gato for men and gata for women to refer to someone who is attractive.
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell a man he is handsome, change the feminine adjective bonita to the masculine bonito: você é bonito.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /voˈse ˈɛ buˈni.tɐ/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
When complimenting someone's appearance, you might use Você é gata informally to mean they are "attractive" or "hot". If you wish to express excitement about their beauty, you can say Como você é linda! which means "How beautiful you are!"
Did you know?
- The phrase Você é um arraso uses a word that can also mean 'a disaster' or 'a wreck' in other contexts.
- The word você actually began as a highly formal way to address someone, meaning 'your mercy' in the form of vossa mercee.
- While bonita means 'pretty', Brazilians often call an attractive person a gata or gato, meaning 'cat'.
Examples in context
- Você é bonita.You're pretty.This sentence is useful for practicing the basic compliment você é bonita.Tatoeba #1199954 by alexmarcelo, translation #1079506 by keira_n
- Obrigado(a)! Você também é muito bonito(a)!Thank you! You're very pretty too!
- Você é bonita de verdade.You are truly pretty.
- Sabe que você é bonita.You know that you are pretty.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are on a first date.
- GabrielBeatriz, você é bonita demais.Beatriz, you're so pretty.
- BeatrizObrigada, Gabriel! Você também é lindo.Thank you, Gabriel! You are handsome too.
- GabrielEu adorei o seu vestido.I loved your dress.
- BeatrizQue gentil da sua parte.That is very kind of you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (você, é, bonita) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries você, é, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
