Ay, qué amable.
Oh, how kind.
This comes right after a huge bouquet of flowers, and qué amable is the quick way to thank someone for a kind gesture.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "kind" in Spanish
amable
adjectivesame for men and womenplural: amables
"Kind" in Spanish is amable, and it has one form for men and women: Él es amable, ella es amable. For the noun, as in "a kind of", Spanish says un tipo de or una clase de: ¿Qué tipo de música te gusta?
Hear "amable" in real movie scenes
A thank-you for one person and one for a whole room. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Gracias, son muy amables.
Thank you, you're all very kind.
At a reception the thanks go out to the whole room, so the plural amables covers everyone.
From Mi novia Polly · Spanish audio
Amable or tipo? Two meanings of kind
The adjective and the noun are different words in Spanish.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| amable | kind (adjective) | Tu madre es muy amable. (Your mom is very kind.) |
| bondadoso, bondadosa | kind-hearted | un abuelo bondadoso (a kind-hearted grandpa) |
| muy amable de tu parte | very kind of you | Gracias, muy amable de tu parte. |
| el tipo | kind, type (noun) | ¿Qué tipo de música te gusta? (What kind of music do you like?) |
| la clase | kind, sort (noun) | Es otra clase de problema. (It's a different kind of problem.) |
Tip: For a polite request in a shop or an office, try ¿Sería tan amable de ayudarme?, "Would you be so kind as to help me?"
Grammar: amable, amables
Four points for using amable the right way.
One form for both
Adjectives ending in -e don't change for gender: un chico amable, una chica amable. The plural just adds -s: amables.Ser or estar
Kindness as a trait takes ser: Eres muy amable. With estar it describes how someone acts right now: Hoy está muy amable.¡Qué amable!
The fast reaction when someone helps you. Add the verb to aim it at the person: ¡Qué amable eres!Kind to someone
Use con for the person: Es amable con todos. With me, it becomes conmigo: Es amable conmigo.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
La gente en el aula es amable.
The people in the classroom are kind.
La gente de aquí es muy amable.
People around here are very kind.
Eres muy amable.
You're very kind.
Es una persona amable.
She's a kind person.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Ella es amabla
✓Ella es amable
Amable keeps its -e for a woman too. Only the plural changes.
✗Es amable a mí
✓Es amable conmigo
Kind to someone takes con, and con plus mí becomes conmigo.
✗muy amable de ti
✓muy amable de tu parte
The set phrase for "kind of you" is de tu parte, or de su parte with usted.
Real conversation: meeting a new neighbor
Santiago just moved in and wants to know who lives here. Tap to listen.
Santiago moved into your building a few days ago, and he stops you on the stairs to ask about the neighbors.
¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo es la gente?
Hi there! What are people like here?
Bueno, es muy amable.
Well, they're very kind.
¿Sí? ¿Y Ana, la vecina?
Oh yeah? And what about Ana next door?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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The other 32 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Amable comes from the same Latin root as amar, to love. Think of a kind person as someone who is easy to love.
Questions about "kind" in Spanish
How do you say kind in Spanish?
Amable, for both men and women: Eres muy amable. For "a kind of" something, say un tipo de.
How do you say "a kind of" in Spanish?
Un tipo de or una clase de: ¿Qué tipo de comida te gusta? means "What kind of food do you like?"
How do you say "that's very kind of you" in Spanish?
Es muy amable de tu parte, or de su parte with usted. The short version is ¡Qué amable!
What's the difference between amable and simpático?
Amable is about how someone treats you: kind, polite, helpful. Simpático is about personality: friendly and likeable.
