Guys - Which of these Spanish words is the best compliment for a girl? How/when do you use each one?

[kdizzleforizzle91]

For guys who speak Spanish - which of these words is the best/nicest to say to a girl? I know that they literally mean about the same thing, but are there certain women or situations you'd use each one for?

How do you use each of these words when describing a lady? Which girls/women do you use each word for personally?

Guapa

Bonita

Linda

Hermosa

[Sib999]

They may/may not make a difference in a guy's choice, but depending on the context, the girl and the stage he's in with her, some words may be more appropriate than others.

Guapa, linda and bonita are all different ways to tell a girl she's pretty, but there are implicit tones behind each. They can all be used for flirting, but depending on the previous factors a guy may favor one.

- Linda translates directly to cute/pretty. Probably leans more towards cute.

- Bonita can also mean cute/pretty, but leans towards "beautiful" without being too formal.

- Using guapa is a subtle way to say she's hot, specially in the right context (nightclub, party, etc)

Hermosa means "beautiful", and is more formal/straightforward than the previous ones. Some guys may use it when flirting, but I think it's more prone to being used when the relationship has already progressed a bit.

So yeah, they're all good compliments (: It's not a huge deal, but if you pay attention they just might mean something else. It also depends on the guy's personality of course.

I personally think linda/bonita sound nice and classy for a bit of flirting, guapa can be used for nightclubs/straightforward people and hermosa is the "ultimate"/definitive way to call a girl simply beautiful with all it means.

There's a fifth word: preciosa. Think of it as a mix between guapa/hermosa. I think hermosa is classier, but hey it works too! (;

--

I'm a native Spanish speaker and that's more or less how it works around here. Hope it helped! :)

[kdizzleforizzle91]

Thank you so much! This was the kind of answer I was looking for. I was trying to understand the context where you might use each one, even though they have similar meanings. There's a guy I've been talking to who is Mexican, and to be nice I wished him a happy Mexican Independence Day last month and wrote the message in Spanish with a couple other things. He replied by saying, "Gracias hermosa :)" That's how I came up with the question. Thanks so much!

[Sib999]

Glad it helped! That's nice of him, he surely likes you! (;

[TheoryOfAvarice]

Probably linda, out of the four in your poll... guapo/guapa is used somewhat casually in Spanish. Hermosa would also work well.

[deannarose]

Linda sounds the prettiest to be called, in my opinion.

[martyfellow]

Guapa is the everyday word, more or less like 'cute.' Bonita is more like 'pretty', 'hermosa' more like 'beautiful.' "linda' is much like 'bonita.' 'Lino is also used to describe places and things, not just people; the others are only about women!

"Hermosa' would be more formal and a little more serious than the others, People will use the other words about girls they don';t know, but 'hermosa' wouldn't normally be said about someone you didn't know.

[archn]

Hermosa means handsome, so I wouldn't really use that too much on a woman. Linda means beautiful. Bonita means pretty. Guapa means good looking (I think).. Not sure on the exact translation.

But from the list, linda is probably the most beautiful word to describe a woman.

[Sib999]

Handsome (male) translates directly to "Guapo".

Hermosa/hermoso means beautiful, but it refers to either male or female depending on the last letter. "A" (hermosa) = females. "O" (Hermoso) refers to male but it's used more for objects, animals, landscapes etc than humans. Telling a guy "hermoso" is still a compliment, but it's not very used (not manly, just like telling a guy "beautiful" in English). People usually say "guapo" (handsome) as stated before or "bueno/papacito" to say he's hot.

[Anonymous]

They all mean the same. Linda is used almost exclusively in Latin American countries although it's understood all over the Spanish-speaking world. Guapa is more common in Spain. Hermosa, depending on the context, might mean "big", and it's rarely used to describe people (it's common to describe things, though). But the four words mean exactly the same: pretty.

[Opinion Owner]

As for the use, guapa (guapo) is used exclusively with people, although in Spain it's used like "cool" in USA. "Bonita" can be used to describe pretty things or handsome people, but it's more common to describe things or children. It's rarely used with adults, although it might be used to give a small poetic touch. "Linda", as I said, is almost exclusively a Latin American Spanish word, and it's used with things and people like "bonita".

[Opinion Owner]

"Hermosa" is used for parks, gardens, places, artworks and the like. It can be used for people but it's not common, and it has the double meaning of "big". It's used as a somewhat polite way of saying "fat".

[theblondeguy]

usted es la chica más bonita del mundo

best phrase ever

you are the most beautiful or pretty girl in the world :D

i think it sound nice when you say it too haah

[WhiteSteve]

"Mi Vida" is my go-to with my girl. But I'd pick bonita from the list.

[ThreeIn]

Hermosa means beautiful or gorgeous. So that's definitely the best one.

Guapa is like handsome, so, ew.

Bonita is just pretty.

Linda is like, lovely, pleasant, cute.

[BCRanger10]

I'd have to go with either '"linda" or "bonita" ;-)

[CasaNorba]

guapa could also mean "aggressive" so a good person that falls under that decryption is michell rodriguez in that boxing movie she did back in 2000

[Averageusername]

Eres bien hermosa mi amor quisiera besarte bien lentamente en tus bonitos laboios

[Anonymous]

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=pq-9gmq3vHo

linda

rica

bonita

necesito mi amor

[Opinion Owner]

all are similar but some are for upping the situation

[UncleScrooge]

"Tetona;" they love that.

[cheesesteak7]

necesito practicar mi espanol... mucho...

[front2back]

Bonita sounds more romantic to me.

[ChristopherLosRivera]

I like "hermosa". "Te quiero" also sounds nice.

[MikeK]

Que rica!

[zagor]

Pujo