Questions & Answers about Estas canciones son bonitas.
Estas is a demonstrative adjective that means these and must agree with the noun in gender and number:
- estas = feminine, plural (these)
- canciones is also feminine, plural → estas canciones
If the noun were masculine plural, you’d use estos (e.g. estos libros – these books).
Esos means those (a bit further away), not these, so it would change the meaning:
- estas canciones = these songs (near me)
- esas canciones = those songs (a bit further away)
The singular form is la canción (the song). Nouns ending in -ción are almost always feminine in Spanish:
- la canción → las canciones
- la nación → las naciones
- la decisión → las decisiones
So canción is feminine, and its plural canciones stays feminine, which is why you use estas and bonitas (both feminine plural) with it.
Adjectives in Spanish must agree with the noun in both gender and number:
- canciones = feminine + plural
- The base adjective is bonito (pretty, nice)
So you change bonito to:
- feminine singular: bonita
- feminine plural: bonitas
- masculine singular: bonito
- masculine plural: bonitos
Because canciones is feminine plural, you must say bonitas.
Both ser and estar translate as to be, but they’re used differently.
Use ser (son) for:
- general or more permanent qualities
- characteristics we see as part of what something is
Estas canciones son bonitas = We see “being pretty” as a general, inherent quality of these songs.
Estar (están) is more for:
- temporary states or conditions
- how something looks/sounds at a particular moment
Estas canciones están bonitas is possible, but in Spain it often sounds like:
- “These songs are (coming out) nice right now / at the moment” (e.g. you’re working on them) or
- “Today these songs (in this performance) sound nice”
For a simple opinion about the songs in general, son bonitas is the default.
It’s not grammatically wrong, but it changes the nuance:
- son bonitas → general evaluation; that’s how these songs are.
- están bonitas → more temporary/specific; in Spain it can sound like:
- they look/sound nice this time, right now, in this context.
If you’re just stating your opinion about these songs as songs, stick with son bonitas.
Yes, you can say Bonitas son estas canciones, but it sounds more poetic, dramatic, or emphatic.
- Normal, neutral order: Estas canciones son bonitas.
- Emphatic / literary: Bonitas son estas canciones. (putting emphasis on bonitas)
In everyday speech in Spain, you’d almost always use the standard order.
Estas canciones son bonitas = These songs are pretty.
→ You mean some specific songs that are close to you (physically, or in the conversation).Las canciones son bonitas = The songs are pretty.
→ Could mean:- The songs that we both already know / have mentioned.
- Or, more generally, the songs in some group, album, etc.
Estas points out which songs (these ones), while las just refers to the songs already known from context.
In Spanish, the verb form son already includes the meaning of are.
- English: These songs are pretty.
- are = separate word
- Spanish: Estas canciones son bonitas.
- son = “are”
The subject (estas canciones) isn’t expressed with a pronoun like they, and son already tells you:
- person: 3rd person
- number: plural
- verb: ser (to be)
You can say Ellas son bonitas (“They are pretty”), but:
- Ellas refers to they (feminine), usually people or sometimes things already very clear from context.
- Estas canciones explicitly tells you what you’re talking about (these songs).
If you’ve just mentioned the songs and it’s clear you mean them, you might use Ellas son bonitas. But if you’re introducing or pointing out the songs, you normally keep the noun:
- Estas canciones son bonitas. = more specific and natural here.
In most of Spain (Castilian Spanish):
- can → like “kahn” (short a, not as long as in English)
- cio → thyo (like English “th” in “thin” + “yo”)
- nes → “nes”
So roughly: kahn-thyo-nes
Syllable stress: can-cio-NES (stress on the last syllable).
Singular: canción (accent on -ción)
- It ends in -n, so normally the stress would be on the second-to-last syllable: CAN-cion.
- But we actually stress the last syllable: can-CIÓN.
→ The written accent (´) marks this irregular stress.
Plural: canciones
- Now the word ends in -es and has three syllables: can-cio-nes.
- Spanish words ending in a vowel, n, or s are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
- Second-to-last syllable is cio, so natural stress is can-CIO-nes.
- Because the stress follows the normal rule, you don’t need an accent mark anymore, so it becomes canciones.
Yes, there are several synonyms, with slightly different flavours:
- bonitas – very common, neutral: pretty, nice.
- hermosas – a bit more formal or strong: beautiful.
- preciosas – very positive: gorgeous, lovely.
- lindas – understood everywhere, but in Spain it can sound a bit more Latin American or poetic; less common in everyday talk.
In Spain, the most natural everyday options for this sentence would be:
- Estas canciones son bonitas.
- Estas canciones son muy bonitas.
- Estas canciones son preciosas.
- Estas canciones son hermosas. (slightly more formal or literary)