Did you know that the English word ‘cute’ is actually used in some Latin American countries?
It’s true! If you spot a little kitten in Mexico City and let out an effusive, “cute!”, you’ll most likely be understood. But, hey, where’s the fun in that?
If you REALLY wanna sound like a true local and show off your Spanish skills, then this list of 10 different ways to say ‘cute’ in Spanish is sure to come in handy!
So, keep scrolling and remember to choose your favorite!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
These are the most common ways to say ‘cute’ in Spanish –
1. lindo = cute
Quiero ir por unos zapatos lindos. = I want to go buy some cute shoes.
2. adorable = adorable
Los perros son adorables de cachorros. = Dogs are adorable as puppies.
3. chulo = cute (colloquial)
¡Qué chulo está tu nieto! = Your grandson is so cute!
1 Lindo – Cute
‘Lindo’ is one of the most common ways to say ‘cute’ in Spanish.
Just remember that it can also mean ‘nice’ AND ‘pretty’ (pretty versatile, right?).
¡Esa bolsa está tan linda!
That purse is so cute!
Merce – ¿Ese es tu gatito?
Ricardo – Sí, se llama Albóndiga.
Merce – ¡Ahh, qué lindo!
Merce – Is that your kitty?
Ricardo – Yes, his name is Meatball.
Merce – Ahh, that’s so cute!
2 Adorable – Adorable
Yeah, you read correctly: ‘adorable’ is spelt EXACTLY the same way in both Spanish and English.
But the pronunciation is obviously a little different.
In Spanish it’s said like ‘ah-doh-rah-bleh’ (yep, pretty different from the English ‘uh-dor-uh-buhl’).
Mirna – ¿Me acompañas a comprarle ropa a mi sobrino recién nacido?
Leandro – ¡Jalo*! No hay nada más adorable que la ropita para bebé.
Mirna – Wanna come with me to buy clothes for my newborn nephew?
Leandro – I’m in! There’s nothing more adorable than baby clothes.
*Erika’s top tip – ‘jalo’ is a super fun Mexican expression meaning something along the lines of ‘I’m in’!
3 Encantador – Charming
The RAE defines the verb ‘encantar’ as ‘to submit to magical powers’ (i.e., ‘to charm’).
And ‘encantador’ is the equivalent of the English word ‘charming’ … yep, Spanish really is a magical language!
Mi novio tiene una sonrisa encantadora.
My boyfriend has a charming smile.
Gina – ¡Qué noche tan encantadora! Este es el clima perfecto.
Felipe – ¿De qué hablas? ¡Hace muchísimo frío afuera!
Gina – What a lovely night! The weather is perfect.
Felipe – What are you talking about? It’s freezing outside!
4 Bonito – Pretty
‘Bonito’ is a cutesy way to say both ‘pretty’ and ‘cute’ in Spanish.
Diana – ¡Qué bonito vestido! ¿Dónde lo compraste?
Carla – Era de mi mamá, ¿puedes creerlo?
Diana – That’s a cute dress! Where did you buy it?
Carla – It was my mom’s; can you believe it?
Cuando viajamos a Italia nos quedamos en una bonita* cabaña en la campiña.
When we travelled to Italy we stayed in a cute cabin in the countryside.
*Erika’s note – remember that adjectives in Spanish always agree in gender with the noun they’re modifying. Check out our article on ‘bonito’ and ‘bonita’ if you wanna know more.
5 Chulo (colloquial) – Cute
‘Chulo’ is an extremely popular expression in Latin America to describe something – or someone – adorable.
Fun fact: this word actually comes from ‘ciullo’, an abbreviation of the Italian word ‘fanciullo’, which means ‘child’.
Also, if you’re ever in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, or Puerto Rico, ‘chulo’ can be used as a synonym of ‘handsome’ (in the same way that we’d say an attractive person is ‘cute’).
¿Ya viste a Fabián? ¡Está chulo como él solo!
Have you seen Fabián? He’s cute as a button!
La hija de mis amigos se veía muy chula en su vestido de cumpleaños.
My friend’s daughter looked so cute in her birthday dress.
6 Precioso – Lovely / Beautiful
If you’ve ever crouched over a puppy while saying ‘what a precious (lovely) little dog!’ in a funny voice (much like Gollum when speaking to the ring), then you already know how to use ‘precioso’ in everyday Spanish.
It normally translates to ‘lovely’ / ‘beautiful’.
¡Pero qué preciosa se ve tu bebé con su traje de osito!
Just look at how precious your baby looks in her teddy bear suit!
Pinté de azul mi habitación y quedó preciosa.
I painted my room blue, and it looks lovely.
7 Majo (Spain) – Cute
‘Majo’ is an adjective used in Spain to describe ‘nice’ behavior, a ‘good-looking’ person, and pretty much anything ‘pretty’.
So, if you’re visiting Spain and you see something ‘cute’ just say it’s ‘majo’!
Sin duda alguna, su esposa es la más maja del pueblo.
Without a doubt, his wife is the most beautiful woman in town.
Mariela – ¿Ya viste aquel tío tan majo?
Andrés – Sí, ¿qué con él?
Mariela – ¡Es mi ex-novio!
Mariela – Do you see that really cute guy?
Andrés – Yes, what about him?
Mariela – He’s my ex-boyfriend!
8 Cuco (Colombia and Mexico) – Cute
‘Cuco’ is quite a versatile word across the Spanish-speaking world.
It’s actually the Latin American name for the ‘bogeyman’, but it can also refer to a ‘fruit’, a ‘cookie’ or even the female genitalia.
Of course, for the purposes of this list we’ll only focus on its colloquial use in some parts of Colombia and Mexico, which is as a synonym of ‘cute’.
¡Te ves muy cuco de traje!
You look very cute in a suit!
Alfonso – ¿Te gustó el regalo que te di?
Érica – ¡Lo amé! Es lo más cuco del mucho.
Alfonso – Did you like the gift I gave you?
Erica – I loved it! It’s the cutest thing in the world.
9 Mono (colloquial) – Cute
The noun ‘mono’ actually means ‘monkey’, but as an adjective it works as a synonym of ‘cute’.
I mean, there are some very cute monkeys, so I suppose this one isn’t that farfetched!
Gabriel – ¿Qué te pasó? ¿Por qué estás empapada?
Cinthya – Me había arreglado muy mona para venir, pero me llovió saliendo del metro y no traía paraguas.
Gabriel – What happened to you? Why are you so wet?
Cinthya – I dolled myself up before coming out, but it started to rain when I got out of the subway, and I didn’t bring an umbrella.
10 Tierno – Cute
Finally, ‘tierno’ literally means ‘tender’ in English, but it’s also an extremely common way of saying ‘cute’, especially when talking about something sweet, soft, vulnerable, lovable and the likes.
Note to reader: we’re talking babies and puppies here, so don’t use it as a synonym of ‘handsome’ or you may get some hurt looks (you’ve been warned!).
Un chico conoce al perro de su amiga
Rui – ¡Está enorme tu perro!
Inés – Sí, pero lo hubieras visto de bebé; era la cosa más tierna.
A boy meets his friend’s dog
Rui – Your dog is huge!
Inés – Yeah, but you should have seen him as a puppy; he was the cutest thing ever.
Final thoughts
So, what’s your favorite way to say ‘cute’ in Spanish?
Hopefully you now have something to work with in all situations! My suggestion: start using the more general terms – such as ‘lindo’ – which you can use no matter the country, then master the more local alternatives!
Oh, and if you wanna keep improving your conversational skills, make sure to check out our article on all the different ways to say ‘what’s wrong’ in Spanish.
¡Hasta la próxima!
