Word Choice: Are you beautiful, pretty or handsome?

I have a lot of students who want to send some secret love messages to their partners and they intend to do it by writing in English, but they always ask me: Teacher, como eu falo 'bonito (a)'?

So, my friends, that is a matter of choice. Let's see some options you guys have in order to tell your love how you feel about him / her.

Beautiful is used to describe someone, usually a woman or a child, who is attractive in a very special and noticeable way.

Pretty is usually used  to describe a girl or woman who is good-looking, with regular features. It can also be used to describe a boy or young man who has an attractive but feminine face.

Handsome is usually used to describe a man or boy who is good-looking, with strong regular features. It can also be used to describe a woman, usually and older woman, who has attractive but masculine features.

Good-looking can be used to describe anyone who you think is nice to look at.

Attractive is used to describe someone who looks good in a way that attracts sexual interest: I can see he's handsome, but I don't find him very attractive.

Gorgeous and stunning are emphatic ways of saying that someone is very attractive. Gorgeous is used mostly in spoken English.


Glossary:
intend: pretender.
a matter of choice: questão de escolha.
noticeable: notável, perceptível.
features: características, traços.

Teacher Gabriel
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