buena chica
/bwena t͡ʃika/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for 'good girl' is buena chica.
buena chica is used to describe a girl or woman who is well-behaved or virtuous. In many Spanish-speaking contexts, calling an adult woman buena chica can sound patronizing or overly familiar, similar to 'good girl' in English.
Which one should you use?
While buena chica is used for girls and young women, buena niña is more specifically used for young children.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buena must agree in gender with the feminine noun chica.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want to praise a dog as a 'good girl', you would use buena chica or buena perra, but using the latter can be a vulgar insult when applied to humans.
- The word buena can also be used as a slang term in certain Caribbean dialects to describe someone who is 'good-looking' or 'attractive', which could cause a major misunderstanding if used in the wrong context.
- In Mexico, the phrase niña bien refers to a 'good girl' specifically in terms of high social class and wealthy upbringing rather than just behavior.
Examples in context
- ¡Sé una buena chica!Be a good girl.This example shows how to give the command to be a buena chica.Tatoeba #2062784 by lazarus1907, translation #1649020 by Spamster
- Seré una buena chica.I'll be a good girl.This example uses the phrase to express a future intention to be a buena chica.Tatoeba #1110840 by alexmarcelo, translation #1110488 by Scott
- Emi es una buena chica.Emi is a good girl.This example uses buena chica to describe someone named Emi.Tatoeba #878686 by Pablete, translation #65291 by CN
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena is talking to Javier about his niece.
- ElenaTu sobrina es una buena chica.Your niece is a good girl.
- JavierSí, siempre ayuda en casa.Yes, she always helps at home.
- ElenaSe nota que es una buena chica.You can tell she is a good girl.
- JavierGracias por decir eso, Elena.Thank you for saying that, Elena.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
