¡mira qué bien!
/ˈmiɾa ˈke ˈbjen/word by word
The English phrase "how about that" can be expressed in Spanish as ¡mira qué bien!
This phrase is used to express surprise or a sense of "look at that" when something unexpected or positive occurs.
Meaning: expression of perplexity or surprise (phrase)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmiɾa ˈke ˈbjen/
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone of voice, ¡mira qué bien! can be used sarcastically to mean the exact opposite, similar to saying 'look at that' when something goes wrong.
- The word bien in this expression is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'bonus' because both trace their ancestry back to the Latin 'bonus', meaning 'good'.
- While ¡mira qué bien! is common, you can shift the entire level of formality instantly by changing the verb to mire qué bien when addressing a stranger or a superior.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué te parece eso? ¡Golazo!What do you think of that? What a goal!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía see a surprise guest at a party.
- AlejandroLucía, mira quien llegó.Lucía, look who arrived.
- Lucía¡Mira qué bien! No lo esperaba.How about that! I wasn't expecting him.
- AlejandroEs una gran sorpresa.It is a great surprise.
- LucíaSí, Alejandro, es increíble.Yes, Alejandro, it is incredible.
