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gentil

kind

adjective hehn-TEEL Rare

Origin: from Latin gentilis (of the same clan), later 'noble, courteous'

Also means

gentle

Usage Note

Gentil today means courteous or kind, but historically it meant 'pagan' or 'gentile' (a non-Jew) — a meaning still alive in religious and biblical texts. In modern everyday usage the sense is purely positive ('how kind of you'). Do not confuse with English 'gentle', which is a false-friend overlap; the Spanish equivalent of 'gentle' is usually suave or delicado.

Examples

"Fue muy gentil al ayudarme con las maletas."

Natural Translation

He was very kind in helping me with the suitcases.

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