buena idea
/bwena idea/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "good idea" is buena idea.
buena idea is used to show that a suggestion or plan is clever or useful. You can use it as a standalone exclamation, ¡Buena idea!, to agree with a suggestion, much like saying "Good idea!" in English. If you want to express different levels of praise, you might use Excelente idea. (excellent idea), Es una idea brillante. (It's a brilliant idea.), or Estoy de acuerdo. Es una solución ingeniosa. (I agree. It is a clever solution.). To say an idea is appropriate, you can use Me parece muy acertada la idea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase ¡Qué chido! can be used to mean "How cool!" or "How good!" when referring to an idea.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is feminine because the noun idea is feminine, requiring the adjective to take the feminine form buena. To express "good ideas" in the plural, both the adjective and the noun must take the plural suffix, resulting in buenas ideas.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the masculine form bueno idea. Because idea is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine buena.
Did you know?
- While buena idea is standard, someone might say está hecho immediately after, which literally means 'it is made' but functions as 'consider it done'.
- While English speakers use 'good idea' to praise a thought, a Spanish speaker might say Es una idea de oro to mean it is a 'golden idea'.
- The word idea shares its roots with the Greek word for 'to see', suggesting that an idea is something one 'sees' in the mind.
Examples in context
- Es una buena idea.It's a good idea.This sentence shows how to state that something is a good idea.Tatoeba #1359762 by Shishir, translation #3334010 by CK
- ¡Es una buena idea!That's a good idea!This sentence provides an exclamatory way to say that something is a good idea.Tatoeba #486930 by Shishir, translation #1568 by CK
- No es una buena idea.It's not a good idea.This sentence demonstrates how to negate the phrase.Tatoeba #1778441 by Shishir, translation #1497512 by marco87
- 108 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are planning their weekend trip.
- MateoPodemos ir a la playa mañana.We can go to the beach tomorrow.
- ElenaEsa es una buena idea, Mateo.That is a good idea, Mateo.
- MateoLlevaremos la comida para el picnic.We will bring food for the picnic.
- Elena¡Qué buena idea!What a good idea!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
