bien ¿y tú?
/ˈbjen i ˈtu/word by word
The English phrase "good you" is translated into Spanish as bien ¿y tú?
This phrase is used as a direct follow-up to a greeting like ¿Cómo estás? to indicate that you are doing well and to ask how the other person is doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bien (well), y (and) and tú (you).
Which one should you use?
The form bien ¿y tú? is the informal version used for friends, family or people your own age, whereas bien ¿y usted? is the version used to show formal respect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, people may use buen trabajo to express "good job" instead of bien hecho.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to someone in a formal setting or to an elder, you should replace tú with usted to form bien ¿y usted?
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbjen i ˈtu/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, responding with bien ¿y tú? is often a social ritual where the second person is expected to answer bien regardless of their actual mood.
- The word tú is a direct linguistic relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. They both stem from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European roots.
- If you use the formal bien ¿y usted? in a very casual setting with a close friend, you might accidentally sound sarcastic or as if you are making a joke by being overly polite.
Examples in context
- ¡Felicitaciones por tu ascenso! Te lo mereces.Congratulations on your promotion! You deserve it.
- ¡Muy bien por terminar tu proyecto a tiempo! Eres muy eficiente.Well done for finishing your project on time! You're very efficient.
- ¡Genial que hayas conseguido el trabajo que deseabas!Great that you got the job you wanted!
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- Alejandro¡Hola Lucía! ¿Cómo estás?Hello Lucía! How are you?
- LucíaBien ¿y tú?, Alejandro.Good, and you, Alejandro?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- LucíaMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
