cualquiera está bien
/kwalkjeɾa esta bjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'either is fine' is translated into Spanish as cualquiera está bien.
This phrase is used to show that the speaker has no preference between two available options.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cualquiera literally means 'any one' or 'whichever' in this context.
Which one should you use?
While cualquiera can mean 'any' in a general sense, in this specific phrase it functions to select one from a set of two options.
Did you know?
- If you call someone un cualquiera in Spanish, you are not saying they are 'any' person, but rather that they are a nobody or a person of no importance.
- The word cualquiera is a clever combination of cual, meaning 'which', and quiera, which comes from the verb 'querer' in the subjunctive mood. It literally translates to 'whichever it may want'.
- While cualquiera está bien is grammatically correct, you might find people saying como quieras instead. This translates to 'as you wish' and is a much more common way to yield a decision to someone else.
Examples in context
- Cualquiera está bien.Either is fine.
- Cualquiera está bien para mí.Either is fine for me.
- No tengo preferencia, cualquiera está bien.I have no preference, either is fine.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are deciding which movie to watch.
- Lucía¿Quieres ver una comedia o un drama, Daniel?Do you want to watch a comedy or a drama, Daniel?
- DanielLa verdad es que cualquiera está bien.To be honest, either is fine.
- LucíaEntonces vamos a ver la comedia.Then let's watch the comedy.
- DanielMe parece perfecto, Lucía.That sounds perfect, Lucía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, cualquiera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
