¿estás bien?
To say "are you okay?" in Spanish, you use ¿estás bien?
This phrase is used to ask if someone is feeling well or is safe after an accident or problem.
Which one should you use?
While ¿estás bien? asks about a person's well-being, it is distinct from asking if a situation is 'okay' or 'fine', which would more commonly use ¿está bien? or ¿está todo bien?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, it is common to ask ¿Está todo bien? to mean "is everything okay?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Use ¿está bien? instead of ¿estás bien? when speaking to someone you address as usted (formal you).
When do people say it?
A standard way to respond to the question is Sí, estoy bien (Yes, I am well). The shortened phrase ¿Todo bien? is a very common, informal way to ask 'Is everything okay?' or 'Are you okay?'
Did you know?
- The word bien shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'good', tracing back to the Proto-Italic root *dwenos.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, responding estoy bien with a sigh or a specific facial expression can actually signal that the speaker is not okay at all.
- While ¿estás bien? asks about a person, the phrase ¿está bien? can be used to ask for permission or to check if a proposed plan is acceptable.
Examples in context
- Señor Rodríguez, ¿está usted bien?Mr. Rodríguez, are you okay?
- Doctora García, ¿se encuentra bien?Doctor García, are you okay?
- Hola Ana, ¿estás bien?Hi Ana, are you okay?
- Juan, ¿te sientes bien?Juan, are you feeling okay?
- María, ¿está todo bien?María, is everything okay?
- Hola Paco, ¿estás bien?Hi Paco, are you okay?
- Señor Martínez, ¿está usted bien?Mr. Martínez, are you okay?
- Te veo muy pálida, ¿estás bien?You look very pale, are you okay?
- ¡Cuidado con el escalón! ¿Estás bien?Watch out for the step! Are you okay?
Example conversation
Javier sees Elena trip on the sidewalk.
- Javier¡Elena! ¿Estás bien?Elena! Are you okay?
- ElenaSí, solo me tropecé un poco.Yes, I just tripped a little.
- Javier¿Te duele algo?Does anything hurt?
- ElenaNo, estoy bien, gracias.No, I am okay, thanks.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
