Hermoso

Hermoso is a Spanish adjective meaning beautiful, handsome, or aesthetically pleasing. It is used to describe people, landscapes, objects, and ideas, and is common in everyday speech as well as in literature and media. The word conveys a sense of harmony, form, and attractiveness that goes beyond mere prettiness.

Etymology and related forms: Hermoso derives from the Latin formosus, meaning well-formed or beautiful, passed into Spanish through historical forms of Old Spanish. Related Romance-language terms include formoso in Portuguese and formoso in other genealogies, with hermosidad forming the abstract noun “beauty.”

Grammar and usage: The adjective agrees with gender and number: hermoso (masc. singular), hermosa (fem. singular), hermosos (masc. plural), hermosas (fem. plural). It can modify a noun directly or appear predicatively after a linking verb, as in “El paisaje es hermoso.” The adverbial form is hermosamente, used to describe actions with beauty or grace.

Variants and nuance: Hermoso often implies a strong or striking beauty and can carry elevated or poetic nuance. Synonyms include bello, bonito, and guapo, each with slightly different levels of formality or emphasis. In many contexts, elegir between these terms depends on tone, register, and regional preferences.

Toponyms and culture: The root appears in various proper names and literary expressions in Spanish, reflecting the value placed on beauty in culture and art. The feminine form hermosa is used for feminine nouns and can describe both physical beauty and beauty in broader senses.

See also: belleza, hermoso/a (forms), vida hermosa.