bien, gracias, ¿y tú?
/ˈbjen ˈɡɾaθjas/ [ˈɡɾa.θjas i ˈtu/word by word
To say good, thanks and you? In Spanish, answer bien, gracias, ¿y tú?
What does it mean word for word?
bien literally means well, because it describes how you are doing. gracias means thanks, and ¿y tú? means and you.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America, people say bien, gracias, ¿y vos?
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase has five syllables. bien is one syllable, /ˈbjen/ and gracias is /ˈɡɾaθjas/ in Spain.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not translate good word for word with the Spanish adjective. The natural answer uses bien, which means well.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying bien is often a social reflex regardless of how you actually feel. It is common to answer 'well' even if you are having a bad day to maintain social harmony.
- The word tú is a close relative of the archaic English word 'thou', both stemming from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European source.
Examples in context
- Yo estoy bien, gracias, ¿y tú?I am doing well, thanks, and you?
- Todo bien, gracias, ¿y tú?Everything is good, thanks, and you?
Example conversation
Mateo and María meet at a cafe.
- Mateo¿Hola, María! ¿Cómo estás?Hello, María! How are you?
- MaríaBien, gracias, ¿y tú?Good, thanks, and you?
- MateoMuy bien también.Very well too.
- MaríaMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
