What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "I hope that you are well", where espero means "I hope" and estés means "you are".
Which one should you use?
espero que estés bien is the informal version used for friends or peers, whereas espero que esté bien is used for elders or professional contacts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Colombia, it is common to say espero que te encuentres muy bien to mean "I hope you are doing very well". In Spain, you might encounter espero que te vaya todo genial to mean "I hope everything goes great for you" or espero que estés fenomenal to mean "I hope you are feeling fabulous".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood estés because it expresses a wish or desire. To address someone formally, the verb changes to esté to match the third-person singular formal usted.
Did you know?
- If someone replies to this phrase with estoy bien, they are describing their current state, but if they say estoy bueno, they are accidentally saying they are physically attractive.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, jumping straight to a request in an email without a phrase like espero que estés bien can be perceived as cold or even rude. It acts as a necessary social buffer.
- The word bien is related to the English word 'bonus'.
Examples in context
- Juan, espero que esté bien. Le mando mis mejores deseos en su nuevo trabajo.Juan, I hope you are well. I send you my best wishes in your new job.
- Hola Ana, espero que estés bien. Estoy deseando verte en la reunión de mañana.Hi Ana, I hope you are well. I'm looking forward to seeing you at tomorrow's meeting.
- Hola, espero que estés bien.Hello, I hope you are well.
- Espero que estés bien en tu nueva casa.I hope you are well in your new house.
Example conversation
Mateo sends a short text message to Elena.
- MateoHola Elena, espero que estés bien.Hello Elena, I hope you are well.
- Elena¡Hola Mateo! Muchas gracias, estoy muy bien.Hi Mateo! Thank you very much, I am doing very well.
- MateoMe alegra mucho saber eso.I am very happy to know that.
- ElenaGracias, espero que tú también estés bien.Thanks, I hope you are well too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
