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bonito

boh-NEE-tohboˈnito

pretty, nice

Also: lovely, cute
A vibrant, colorful garden filled with blooming red, yellow, and blue flowers, illustrating the concept of 'pretty'.

📝 In Action

Tu jardín es muy bonito.

A1

Your garden is very pretty.

¡Qué casa tan bonita!

A1

What a pretty house!

Fue un bonito gesto de tu parte.

A2

That was a nice gesture on your part.

Mis sobrinos son muy bonitos.

B1

My nephews are very cute.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • un bonito día – a nice/lovely day
  • un bonito recuerdo – a nice/fond memory
  • tener una bonita sonrisa – to have a pretty smile

bonito

Also: tuna
NounmB1
Spain
A silver and blue striped bonito fish, a type of tuna, swimming in clear ocean water.

📝 In Action

En el norte de España, el bonito es un pescado muy popular.

B1

In the north of Spain, bonito is a very popular fish.

Voy a comprar una lata de bonito en aceite de oliva.

B1

I'm going to buy a can of bonito in olive oil.

¿Has probado el marmitako? Es un guiso con bonito.

B2

Have you tried marmitako? It's a stew made with bonito.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • atún (tuna (general))

Common Collocations

  • bonito del norte – Albacore tuna (literally 'bonito from the north')
  • bonito en escabeche – pickled bonito

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "bonito" in Spanish:

bonito→cute→handsome→lovely→nice→pretty→tuna→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: bonito

Question 1 of 2

If you are admiring a sunset in Spain and say '¡Qué bonito!', what are you talking about?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
bonita(pretty (feminine)) — Adjective
bonitamente(prettily, nicely) — Adverb
embellecer(to beautify, to embellish) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Spanish word 'bueno' (good) plus the ending '-ito', which often makes things smaller or more affectionate. So, 'bonito' literally means something like 'a good little one'. The name for the fish likely came from the same idea, considering it a 'good' or high-quality catch.

First recorded: Around the 15th century.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: bonitoItalian: bonito

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'bonito', 'guapo', and 'hermoso'?

Great question! They all mean 'beautiful' in some way, but have different feelings. 'Bonito' is a general-purpose 'pretty' or 'nice' – you can use it for almost anything. 'Guapo' is mostly for people (especially men) and means 'handsome' or 'good-looking'. 'Hermoso' is a stronger word, like 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous', used for stunning landscapes, art, or very attractive people.

Can I use 'bonito' to describe a man?

Yes, you can, but it might sound a bit soft, like calling him 'pretty' or 'cute'. It's more common to use 'guapo' for a man you find handsome. You might use 'bonito' to talk about his features, like 'tiene ojos bonitos' (he has nice eyes).