Inklingo

How to Say "awesome" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “awesome” is “genial” — use 'genial' for general admiration and positive feedback, suitable for most informal and semi-formal situations..

genial🔊A2

Use 'genial' for general admiration and positive feedback, suitable for most informal and semi-formal situations.

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guay🔊B1

Choose 'guay' to express strong enthusiasm and coolness, especially common in Spain for trendy or exciting things.

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súperB1

Use 'súper' to convey general enthusiasm and excitement, functioning as a straightforward intensifier.

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impresionante🔊B1

Employ 'impresionante' when something is genuinely breathtaking, highly impressive, or very good, often used for sights or achievements.

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sensacional🔊A2

Use 'sensacional' for informal praise, particularly when describing something exceptionally good, like food or a performance.

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geniales🔊A1

Use 'geniales' (plural of genial) to describe multiple things that are great or fantastic, indicating general approval.

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brutal🔊C1

Opt for 'brutal' when something is extremely impressive or fantastic, often implying intensity, and is common in many Spanish-speaking regions.

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mortal🔊C1

Use 'mortal' informally to describe something incredibly great or fantastic, often used humorously for things that are extremely funny or impressive.

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tremendo🔊C1

Employ 'tremendo' as slang for informal praise, highlighting something impressively great or intense, like a voice or a situation.

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cañónC1

Use 'cañón' as slang, primarily in Spain, to describe something as excellent or great, particularly for objects or people.

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English → Spanish

genial

/kheh-nyahl//xeˈnjal/

adjectiveA2informal
Use 'genial' for general admiration and positive feedback, suitable for most informal and semi-formal situations.
A group of stylized, joyful cartoon characters cheering enthusiastically with bright smiles and raised arms, surrounding a single, perfectly ripe, glowing red apple.

Examples

¡Qué genial que vienes a la fiesta!

How awesome 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-ee/ˈɡwai/

adjectiveB1informal
Choose 'guay' to express strong enthusiasm and coolness, especially common in Spain for trendy or exciting things.
A pair of oversized, colorful, and sleek retro sunglasses resting on a bright solid colored surface, symbolizing something fashionable and cool.

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.)

súper

adjectiveB1informal
Use 'súper' to convey general enthusiasm and excitement, functioning as a straightforward intensifier.

Examples

¡Qué súper! Ganamos el partido.

How awesome! We won the game.

impresionante

/im-preh-sioh-NAHN-teh//impɾesjoˈnante/

adjectiveB1informal/very good
Employ 'impresionante' when something is genuinely breathtaking, highly impressive, or very good, often used for sights or achievements.
A small, wide-eyed squirrel stands at the base of a massive, brightly colored sunflower that towers high above it, illustrating a feeling of awe and admiration.

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.)

sensacional

/sen-sah-syoh-NAHL//sensasjoˈnal/

adjectiveA2informal praise
Use 'sensacional' for informal praise, particularly when describing something exceptionally good, like food or a performance.
A bright gold trophy sitting on a pedestal surrounded by colorful confetti.

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

geniales

heh-nee-AH-les/xeˈnjales/

adjectiveA1general approval
Use 'geniales' (plural of genial) to describe multiple things that are great or fantastic, indicating general approval.
Two anthropomorphic, smiling golden stars high-fiving enthusiastically, symbolizing something excellent or great.

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.

brutal

broo-TAHL/bɾuˈtal/

adjectiveC1fantastic or amazing
Opt for 'brutal' when something is extremely impressive or fantastic, often implying intensity, and is common in many Spanish-speaking regions.
A large, perfectly cut, intensely sparkling stylized diamond resting on a simple, deep purple velvet cushion, symbolizing something amazing or fantastic.

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-TAL//moɾˈtal/

adjectiveC1great/fantastic
Use 'mortal' informally to describe something incredibly great or fantastic, often used humorously for things that are extremely funny or impressive.
A person sitting down and laughing so hard they are holding their stomach and leaning back dramatically.

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-doh/tɾeˈmen.do/

adjectiveC1slang/informal praise
Employ 'tremendo' as slang for informal praise, highlighting something impressively great or intense, like a voice or a situation.
A single, bright yellow star sparkling intensely and radiating light, surrounded by colorful celebratory confetti, representing something fantastic.

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

adjectiveC1excellent, great (Spain slang)
Use 'cañón' as slang, primarily in Spain, to describe something as excellent or great, particularly for objects or people.

Examples

¡Qué cañón está tu coche nuevo!

Your new car is so cool/awesome!

Choosing Between 'Genial' and 'Guay'

Learners often confuse 'genial' and 'guay'. While both express positive sentiment, 'genial' is more universally understood and suitable for general praise, whereas 'guay' is strongly associated with Spain and implies a cooler, trendier kind of awesome.

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