How to Say "awesome" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “awesome” is “genial” — use 'genial' for general admiration and approval when something is great, cool, or brilliant, often implying cleverness or a positive outcome.
genial
kheh-nyahlxeˈnjal

Examples
¡Qué genial que vienes a la fiesta!
How cool that you're coming to the party!
La película fue genial, me encantó.
The movie was great, I loved it.
Tus amigos son geniales.
Your friends are great/awesome.
Making 'genial' Match
Like most describing words (adjectives), 'genial' needs to match the thing it's describing. If the thing is plural, add an '-es' to make 'geniales'. For example: 'un plan genial' (one great plan) vs. 'unos planes geniales' (some great plans).
Describing a Mood
Mistake: “Él está genial hoy.”
Correction: To say someone is in a great mood, it's more natural to say 'Él está de muy buen humor'. Saying 'es genial' describes the person's character ('he's a great person'), not their temporary feeling.
guay
gwa-eeˈɡwai

Examples
¡Qué guay es tu camiseta nueva!
Your new T-shirt is so cool!
Hemos ido a la playa y el día ha sido súper guay.
We went to the beach and the day was super great/awesome.
¿Vamos al cine? ¡Guay!
Shall we go to the cinema? Cool!
Always the Same
Unlike most Spanish adjectives, 'guay' does not change its ending based on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. It's always 'guay'.
Using the wrong form
Mistake: “La gente es muy guaya. (Trying to make it plural/feminine)”
Correction: La gente es muy guay. (Keep it simple! It never changes its form.)
cool
koolkul

Examples
Ese coche es muy cool.
That car is very cool.
Tu hermano es una persona muy cool.
Your brother is a very cool person.
¡Qué viaje tan cool hiciste a México!
What a cool trip you took to Mexico!
One word for everyone
Unlike most Spanish adjectives that change based on if you're talking about a man or a woman, 'cool' always stays the same.
Where to put it
In Spanish, you usually place 'cool' after the person or thing you are describing, just like 'un libro cool' (a cool book).
The 'O/A' Trap
Mistake: “Esa chica es coola.”
Correction: Esa chica es cool.
súper
Examples
¡Qué súper! Ganamos el partido.
How great! We won the game.
impresionante
im-preh-sioh-NAHN-tehimpɾesjoˈnante

Examples
La vista desde el mirador es absolutamente impresionante.
The view from the viewpoint is absolutely breathtaking.
Tu habilidad para hablar tres idiomas es impresionante.
Your ability to speak three languages is impressive.
Compramos un televisor con una calidad de imagen impresionante.
We bought a television with stunning image quality.
Gender is Easy!
This adjective is special because it stays 'impresionante' whether you are describing a masculine noun (el coche impresionante) or a feminine noun (la casa impresionante). It does not change gender.
Making it Plural
To describe more than one thing, simply add '-s' to the end: 'impresionante' becomes 'impresionantes'. Example: 'Los efectos especiales son impresionantes'.
Forgetting the Plural
Mistake: “Las montañas eran impresionante.”
Correction: Las montañas eran impresionantes. (Because 'montañas' is plural, the adjective must also be plural.)
bárbaro
Examples
¡Qué bárbaro! Ganaste el partido.
That's awesome! You won the game.
chivo
chee-bohˈtʃi.βo

Examples
¡Qué chivo está tu teléfono nuevo!
Your new phone is so cool!
La película estuvo bien chiva.
The movie was really great.
Me parece chivo que vengas con nosotros.
I think it's cool that you're coming with us.
Matching the Noun
Even though it's slang, it still behaves like an adjective. If describing a party (la fiesta), use 'chiva'.
Regional Boundaries
Mistake: “Using 'chivo' for 'cool' in Spain.”
Correction: In Spain, they might think you are talking about a literal goat. Use 'guay' there instead.
épico
Examples
¡Esa canasta en el último segundo fue épica!
That basket in the last second was epic!
sensacional
sen-sah-syoh-NAHLsensasjoˈnal

Examples
¡La comida en este restaurante es sensacional!
The food at this restaurant is sensational!
Tengo una noticia sensacional que contarte.
I have some fantastic news to tell you.
Fue un concierto sensacional; todos bailamos mucho.
It was a sensational concert; we all danced a lot.
One Form for All
This word doesn't change for gender. Use 'sensacional' for both masculine and feminine things (e.g., 'un libro sensacional' and 'una película sensacional').
Plural Form
To make it plural, just add '-es' to the end: 'sensacionales'.
Gender confusion
Mistake: “una fiesta sensacionala”
Correction: una fiesta sensacional
brutal
broo-TAHLbɾuˈtal

Examples
¡Ese concierto fue brutal! Tocaron mis canciones favoritas.
That concert was awesome! They played my favorite songs.
Tienes un coche brutal; ¿cuánto corre?
You have an amazing car; how fast does it go?
El dolor de cabeza que tengo es brutal.
The headache I have is intense (extreme).
Gender Invariable
'Brutal' is one of those adjectives that stays the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine: 'un coche brutal' (m.) and 'una película brutal' (f.).
Using 'Muy' with Slang
Mistake: “Muy brutal”
Correction: Just use 'brutal' on its own. Since 'brutal' already means 'extremely good,' adding 'muy' (very) is redundant and sounds unnatural in slang contexts.
mortal
mor-TALmoɾˈtal

Examples
El chiste que contó fue mortal, lloré de la risa.
The joke he told was hilarious, I cried laughing.
La subida a la montaña estuvo mortal, casi no llego.
The climb up the mountain was brutal, I almost didn't make it.
tremendo
treh-MEN-dohtɾeˈmen.do

Examples
¡Qué tremenda voz tiene esa cantante!
What an amazing voice that singer has!
La cena que preparaste estaba tremenda.
The dinner you prepared was fantastic.
Positive Intensifier
In informal speech, 'tremendo' loses its original meaning of 'fearsome' and simply becomes a powerful way to say 'very good' or 'excellent.' Context determines if it's positive or negative.
Overusing in Formal Contexts
Mistake: “Usando 'tremendo' para describir un logro científico en una tesis.”
Correction: Use 'notable' or 'significativo' instead. 'Tremendo' is too casual for formal academic writing.
cañón
Examples
¡Qué cañón está tu coche nuevo!
Your new car is so cool/awesome!
geniales
heh-nee-AH-lesxeˈnjales

Examples
Tus ideas para la fiesta son geniales.
Your ideas for the party are great (or fantastic).
Mis amigos nuevos son muy geniales.
My new friends are very cool.
¡Qué geniales son esas zapatillas!
Those sneakers are so awesome!
Always Plural
'Geniales' is the plural form of 'genial.' You use it only when describing two or more people or things.
Overusing 'Genial' or 'Guay'
Related Translations
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