bellas
“bellas” means “beautiful” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
beautiful
Also: lovely, fine
📝 In Action
Las mariposas tienen alas muy bellas.
A1The butterflies have very beautiful wings.
Fueron unas vacaciones bellas en la costa.
A2They were lovely vacations on the coast.
La artista tenía ideas muy bellas sobre la naturaleza.
B1The artist had very beautiful ideas about nature.
beautiful women
Also: the beauties
📝 In Action
El príncipe bailó con las bellas toda la noche.
B2The prince danced with the beautiful women all night.
Las bellas del pueblo se reunieron en la plaza.
C1The beauties of the town gathered in the square.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: bellas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the adjective 'bellas'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin term *bellus*, which originally meant 'pretty,' 'charming,' or 'handsome,' especially when referring to women, children, and inanimate objects. It is related to the French word 'beau' and the Italian 'bello'.
First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'bellas' and 'hermosas'?
Both mean 'beautiful,' but 'hermosas' often implies a deeper, more striking, or gorgeous beauty, while 'bellas' is a very common, slightly softer word that can mean beautiful, lovely, or even just 'fine' or 'nice' depending on the context.
Can 'bellas' ever describe a group of mixed-gender people?
No. If you have a group that includes both men and women (or masculine and feminine objects), you must default to the masculine plural form: 'bellos'.