gracia
nounCEFR B2
What does “gracia” mean in English?
grace, charm — natural elegance or charm; also divine grace and humour
grace, charm — natural elegance or charm; also divine grace and humour (bailar con gracia; tener gracia)
Example sentences
Bailaba con una gracia natural que dejaba al público sin aliento.
She danced with a natural grace that left the audience breathless.
Me hizo gracia el comentario, porque capturaba exactamente lo ridículo de la situación.
I found the comment funny because it captured exactly what was ridiculous about the situation.
Los teólogos medievales debatían si la gracia divina era un don irrevocable o podía perderse.
Medieval theologians debated whether divine grace was an irrevocable gift or could be lost.
How to use it
La gracia (noun, feminine) covers three B2 meanings: (1) natural elegance or charm (bailar con gracia; tener mucha gracia), (2) humour or wit (hacerse gracia algo; tener gracia un chiste), and (3) divine grace in religious contexts (la gracia divina). Key collocations: con gracia; hacer gracia; tenerle gracia a algo; caer en gracia. Note: gracias (thanks) is a completely different word — plural with fixed meaning.
Common mistake
Never confuse gracia (grace/charm) with gracias (thanks) — they are different words despite sharing a root. 'To be funny' = hacer gracia / tener gracia (not *ser gracioso always, as gracioso can mean 'clown-like'). 'To fall out of favour' = caer en desgracia. 'To grace someone with' = honrar a alguien con.