How to Say "cute" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “cute” is “lindo” — use 'lindo' for people, animals, or objects when you want to express a general sense of prettiness or attractiveness, similar to 'pretty' or 'lovely'..
lindo
/leen-doh//ˈlindo/
Examples
¡Qué vestido tan lindo!
What a pretty dress!
Tu cachorro es muy lindo.
Your puppy is very cute.
Pasamos un día lindo en la playa.
We had a lovely day at the beach.
Matching the Noun It Describes
Like most describing words in Spanish, 'lindo' must change its ending to match the person or thing it's describing. Use 'lindo' for masculine things (un perro lindo), 'linda' for feminine things (una casa linda), 'lindos' for multiple masculine things, and 'lindas' for multiple feminine things.
Forgetting to Change the Ending
Mistake: “La flor es lindo.”
Correction: La flor es linda. Because 'flor' (flower) is a feminine word, the describing word needs the '-a' ending to match it.
bonito
/boh-NEE-toh//boˈnito/
Examples
Tu jardín es muy bonito.
Your garden is very pretty.
¡Qué casa tan bonita!
What a pretty house!
Fue un bonito gesto de tu parte.
That was a nice gesture on your part.
Matching the Noun
Like most describing words in Spanish, 'bonito' must change to match the person or thing it describes. Use 'bonito' for masculine things, 'bonita' for feminine things, 'bonitos' for plural masculine, and 'bonitas' for plural feminine. For example: el coche bonito (the pretty car), la flor bonita (the pretty flower).
Using 'Bueno' for 'Pretty'
Mistake: “La casa es muy buena.”
Correction: La casa es muy bonita. 'Bueno' means 'good' in terms of quality or morality, while 'bonito' refers to appearance.
Forgetting to Change the Ending
Mistake: “Las chicas son bonito.”
Correction: Las chicas son bonitas. Remember to make it plural ('-s') and feminine ('-a') to match 'las chicas'.
precioso
preh-SYOH-soh/pɾeˈθjoso/
Examples
¡Qué vestido más precioso llevas hoy!
What a beautiful dress you are wearing today!
El amanecer en la montaña fue un momento precioso.
The sunrise in the mountains was a lovely moment.
Mi sobrino es un bebé muy precioso.
My nephew is a very cute baby.
Agreement is Key
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'precioso' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'preciosa' for feminine words (like 'casa') and 'preciosos' or 'preciosas' for plurals.
mono
MOH-noh/ˈmo.no/
Examples
¡Qué mono es tu bebé con ese gorro!
How cute your baby is with that hat!
Hemos comprado una casa muy mona en la costa.
We bought a very pretty house on the coast.
Ella es muy mona, pero no sabe que me gusta.
She is very attractive, but she doesn't know I like her.
Matching the Noun
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'mono' must match the item it describes: 'un regalo mono' (a cute gift) but 'una camisa mona' (a cute shirt).
chulo
/CHOO-loh//ˈtʃulo/
Examples
¡Qué chulo está tu bebé!
How cute your baby is!
¡Qué zapatos más chulos tienes!
What cool shoes you have!
Ese restaurante es muy chulo.
That restaurant is really neat.
Ese muchacho es muy chulo.
That boy is very handsome.
Describing Objects
When you use this to describe things, it usually means 'cool' or 'pretty.' Remember to change it to 'chula' if the thing you are talking about is feminine, like 'una casa chula'.
adorable
/ah-doh-RAH-bleh//a.ðoˈɾa.βle/
Examples
Ese gatito es tan adorable que quiero adoptarlo.
That kitten is so adorable that I want to adopt it.
Tu hija tiene una sonrisa adorable.
Your daughter has an adorable smile.
Compramos unos adornos muy adorables para la fiesta.
We bought some very cute (adorable) decorations for the party.
Adjective Placement
Like most descriptive Spanish adjectives, 'adorable' usually comes after the noun it describes: 'un bebé adorable' (an adorable baby).
Gender Consistency
Since 'adorable' ends in '-e', it doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine nouns. Use 'adorable' for both men and women, or masculine and feminine objects.
Forgetting the Plural 's'
Mistake: “Los niños son adorable.”
Correction: Los niños son adorables. (You must add '-s' when describing more than one person or thing.)
gracioso
/grah-SYOH-soh//ɡɾaˈsjoso/
Examples
La bailarina tenía un movimiento de manos muy gracioso.
The dancer had a very graceful hand movement.
Es un gatito muy gracioso y juguetón.
He's a very cute and playful kitten.
La niña nos dedicó una sonrisa graciosa.
The little girl gave us a charming smile.
Matching the Noun
This meaning also changes to match the noun it describes: 'graciosa' (feminine), 'graciosos' (masculine plural), and 'graciosas' (feminine plural).
Assuming this Meaning
Mistake: “Thinking 'gracioso' always means graceful.”
Correction: Remember that 'funny' is the main meaning. This 'graceful' or 'charming' sense is less common. Context is key: if it's describing a movement, a small child, or art, it might mean graceful. If it's describing a person's personality or a story, it almost always means funny.
Choosing between 'bonito', 'lindo', and 'precioso'
Related Translations
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