genial
“genial” means “great” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
great, cool, fantastic
Also: awesome, brilliant
📝 In Action
¡Qué genial que vienes a la fiesta!
A2How cool that you're coming to the party!
La película fue genial, me encantó.
A2The movie was great, I loved it.
Tus amigos son geniales.
B1Your friends are great/awesome.
brilliant
Also: inspired, of genius
📝 In Action
El arquitecto tuvo una idea genial para el diseño del museo.
B2The architect had a brilliant idea for the museum's design.
Fue una solución genial a un problema muy complicado.
B2It was a brilliant solution to a very complicated problem.
El director le dio un toque genial a la escena final.
C1The director gave a touch of genius to the final scene.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "genial" in Spanish:
awesome→brilliant→cool→fantastic→great→ingenious→inspired→of genius→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: genial
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'genial' to mean 'brilliant' or 'of genius'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'geniālis,' which meant 'joyful' or 'related to a guardian spirit' (a 'genius'). You can see how this old meaning split into our modern uses: 'brilliant' (like a work of genius) and 'great/cool' (full of joy).
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'genial' the same as 'genial' in English?
Not usually! In English, 'genial' means friendly and cheerful. While Spanish 'genial' can have a related, rare meaning, 99% of the time it means 'great/cool' or 'brilliant'. To say someone is friendly and cheerful in Spanish, you'd use words like 'amable' or 'simpático'.
Do I say 'genial' or 'geniales'?
It depends on what you're describing. If you're talking about one thing, use 'genial' (e.g., 'el libro es genial'). If you're talking about more than one thing, use 'geniales' (e.g., 'los libros son geniales').