que te vaya bien
/ke te baʝa bjen/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'have a good one' is expressed as que te vaya bien.
The phrase que te vaya bien is used as a parting wish when someone is leaving or starting a new endeavor, similar to 'have a good one' or 'good luck'. It can also mean 'hope it goes well'.
Meaning: parting phrase (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'may it go well for you', using the subjunctive mood to express a wish.
Which one should you use?
The phrase que te vaya bien is used when speaking to one person you are on familiar terms with. In contrast, que le vaya bien is used for formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
To wish a good day or a good time to a group of people, use que les vaya bien. Regarding time-specific wishes, Que tenga una buena tarde can be used from late afternoon until evening, while Que tenga una buena noche is generally used from the late evening hours and onward.
Did you know?
- In some regions, saying vaya on its own can be used as an interjection to express surprise or disbelief, completely unrelated to the verb 'to go' in this phrase.
- While que te vaya bien is a warm parting wish, using it when someone is leaving a job or a relationship can sometimes imply a final goodbye.
- The word que in this phrase is a linguistic descendant of the Latin word 'quid', which actually means 'what' rather than 'that'.
Examples in context
- Maria, que tengas un buen díaMaria, have a good day.
- Amigo, que te vaya bienFriend, take care.
- ¡Feliz día!Have a happy day!
- Gracias por todo, que te vaya bien.Thanks for everything, have a good one.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are leaving a coffee shop after a chat.
- LucíaMe tengo que ir ya, Daniel.I have to go now, Daniel.
- DanielVale, que te vaya bien, Lucía.Okay, have a good one, Lucía.
- Lucía¡Gracias! Igualmente para ti.Thanks! Same to you.
- DanielHasta luego.See you later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, que, te, vaya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
