"animado" vs "ilusionado"

Question

If I want to say that somebody is excited about an event, could I use either "animado" or "iluscionado"?

For example:

Mi hijo está ilusionado con la escuela. = My son is excited about school.

Mi hijo está ilusionado con empezar la escuela. = My son is excited about starting school.

Mi hijo está animado de empezar la escuela. = My son is excited about starting school.

I think I have to use "con" in this case after "iluscionado", but what is the proper preposition to use after "animado" in this case?

¡Muchas gracias por su ayuda!

• Just F Y I, the verb is 'ilusionar', not 'iluscionar'. - MacFadden Jul 27, 2010
• Sorry about the spaces. The forum won't let me write it normally because it thinks I'm 'shouting'. - MacFadden Jul 27, 2010
• It was just a typo, thanks for pointing it out. - Lezipo Jul 27, 2010

Answer 1

Mi hijo está animado por empezar la escuela.

Answer 2

If I am understanding the dictionary "ilusionado" is the adjective looking forward to something or excited about something in the future

"animado" as an adjective means you are excited about something occuring right now.

I don't have enough Spanish to answer about the "con" and prepositions!

Answer 3

You can also use entusiasmarse con algo = to get excited or enthusiastic about something.

For example: se entusiasmó por con la idea

= He got (became) excited or enthusiastic about the idea

No te entusiasmes, que no sé si nos llega el dinero

= Don't get excited,or carried away I don't know if we've got enough money