Eres un hombre inteligente.
You're a smart man.
One of them says it to the other on the run through a stairwell, about as short as praise gets. The adjective comes after hombre.
From Einstein · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "smart" in Spanish
inteligente
adjectivesame for he and sheplural: inteligentes
"Smart" in Spanish is inteligente. One form works for men and women, un hombre inteligente and una mujer inteligente, and the plural adds -s. You'll also hear listo for someone quick and clever.
Hear "inteligente" in real movie scenes
Praise for a friend and praise for an enemy. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Él es muy inteligente.
He's very smart.
On the bridge of the starship, the highest praise goes to the enemy, never to themselves. Muy in front makes inteligente stronger.
Inteligente, listo and other smart words
Different words for different kinds of smart.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| inteligente | smart, intelligent | The standard word for people, animals and devices. |
| listo, lista | clever, quick | Only with ser. Estar listo means to be ready. |
| brillante | brilliant | Stronger praise, for a person or an idea. |
| sabio, sabia | wise | Wisdom that comes with experience. |
| el teléfono inteligente | smartphone | In conversation people say el móvil in Spain and el celular in Latin America. |
Tip: Smart in the sense of well dressed is elegante: Hoy vas muy elegante.
Grammar: inteligente, inteligentes
Four points to use it right.
One form for both genders
un niño inteligente, una niña inteligente. Adjectives that end in -e don't change for a woman or a girl.Plural with -s
inteligentes: Los niños son inteligentes. The same plural covers a group of women.It takes ser
Being smart is part of who someone is, so use ser: Eres muy inteligente.A throaty g
Before e, the g is a breathy h sound: een-teh-lee-HEN-teh. The stress falls on -gen-.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El niño es muy inteligente.
The boy is very smart.
Eres un hombre inteligente.
You're a smart man.
Mi hermana es muy inteligente.
My sister is very smart.
Los niños son inteligentes.
The kids are smart.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗intelligente
✓inteligente
Spanish spells it with a single l, unlike English intelligent.
✗una mujer inteligenta
✓una mujer inteligente
The -e ending stays the same for women.
✗Está muy inteligente
✓Es muy inteligente
Intelligence is a trait, so the verb is ser.
✗Estoy listo (meaning I'm smart)
✓Soy listo
With estar, listo means ready.
Real conversation: the kid in the comic
A short chat with a friend about a book you lent him.
Your friend Sergio is reading the comic you recommended, and he asks about the boy in the story.
Oye, ¿cómo es el niño del libro?
Hey, what's the kid in the book like?
Es muy inteligente.
He's very smart.
¿Y hace muchas preguntas?
And does he ask a lot of questions?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 31 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Inteligente is English intelligent with one l crossed out and an -e on the end. Picture a smart kid erasing the extra l on the board.
Questions about "smart" in Spanish
How do you say smart in Spanish?
Inteligente, for men and women alike. For a quick, clever person you can also say listo or lista.
Is inteligente masculine or feminine?
It's both. Because it ends in -e, un niño inteligente and una niña inteligente share the same form.
What's the difference between ser listo and estar listo?
Ser listo means to be clever. Estar listo means to be ready to go.
How do you say smartphone in Spanish?
The full term is el teléfono inteligente. Most people say el móvil in Spain and el celular in Latin America.
