¿estás bien?
The English phrase "are you cool?" can be translated into Spanish as ¿estás bien?
The phrase is used to ask if someone is okay or unhurt following a negative event.
Did you know?
- While ¿estás bien? is a safe way to ask if someone is okay, using the word 'cool' in a literal sense, like ¿estás fresco?, would mistakenly imply you are asking if their body temperature is cold.
- If you ask ¿estás bien? after someone trips, they might respond with No pasa nada, which literally means 'nothing is happening' but is the standard way to say 'it's nothing' or 'I'm fine'.
- The word bien is a direct descendant of the Latin bene, which also gave English the prefix 'bene-' found in words like 'beneficial' and 'benevolent'.
Examples in context
- Te veo pálida, ¿estás bien?You look pale, are you okay?
- Se escuchó un golpe fuerte, ¿estás bien?There was a loud bang, are you okay?
Example conversation
Elena trips and falls in the street.
- Javier¡Cuidado! ¿Estás bien?Careful! Are you cool?
- ElenaSí, solo fue un susto.Yes, it was just a scare.
- JavierNo te lastimaste, ¿verdad?You didn't hurt yourself, right?
- ElenaNo, estoy perfectamente bien.No, I am perfectly fine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
