que estés bien
/ke estes bjen/from spelling rules
To say 'be well' in Spanish, use que estés bien.
Que estés bien is a phrase used to wish someone good health and happiness, typically when saying goodbye. It is a warm, slightly more heartfelt way to say goodbye compared to a simple 'adiós'.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'that you be well', where que acts as a particle to introduce the wish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use Que estés bien to convey 'Be well'. In Spain, the phrase Que te vaya de lujo is used to mean 'May everything go perfectly for you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood because it expresses a wish or a desire rather than a statement of fact.
Did you know?
- The word que in this phrase is a distant cousin of the English word 'who'. Both trace their roots back to the same Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
- If you say que estés bien to someone who is currently ill, it functions less as a goodbye and more as a sincere wish for their recovery.
- While que estés bien is a warm farewell, adding a simple está bien in response can change the meaning to 'that is fine' or 'it is okay' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- ¡Que tenga un buen día, señor García!Have a good day, Mr. García!
- Espero que esté bien en su viajeI hope you're well on your journey
- ¡Hasta luego, que te vaya bien!Goodbye, take care! / Wishing you well!
- Nos vemos mañana, cuídate muchoSee you tomorrow, take care
- Espero que estés bien.I hope you are well.
- Adiós, que estés bien.Goodbye, be well.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are saying goodbye after a coffee meeting.
- JavierMe tengo que ir, Lucía.I have to go, Lucía.
- LucíaEstá bien, Javier. Que estés bien.Okay, Javier. Be well.
- JavierGracias, igualmente.Thanks, you too.
- Lucía¡Hasta luego!See you later!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
