bueno
/ˈbweno/
The English phrase "good" can be translated into Spanish as bueno.
bueno is used to describe something that is pleasant or enjoyable. In conversational Spanish, it is often used as an interjection meaning "well" or "okay", such as when answering a phone call. While it can describe a sense of moral goodness or quality, other words may be more specific: bien can describe overall well-being and rico is used specifically to say food is "good" or tasty.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While bueno can refer to moral quality, it is frequently used as a conversational filler like "well" or "okay". For a higher degree of excellence, you might use excelente and to express enthusiasm, you can use the informal genial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term chévere is a colloquialism used in certain Latin American countries, such as Colombia and Venezuela, to express that something is good or cool.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The masculine singular is bueno, and the feminine singular is buena. For plural forms, use buenos for masculine nouns and buenas for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbweno/
Did you know?
- While bueno is the standard word for 'good', calling a person bueno or buena can be a colloquial way to say they are physically attractive or 'hot'.
- In certain contexts, saying está bueno about a meal is correct, but using es bueno suggests the food is healthy or beneficial for you rather than tasty.
- The word bueno is a direct descendant of the Latin word bonus, which is also the root of many English words like 'bonus' or 'bonanza'.
Examples in context
- Fue un rey bueno.He was a good king.Tatoeba #1356464 by marcelostockle, translation #1356323 by CK
- No era muy bueno.It wasn't very good.Tatoeba #2096333 by Shishir, translation #1897744 by CK
- Esto no es bueno.This is no good.Tatoeba #4329300 by pchamorro, translation #3363714 by CK
- La película que vimos fue buena.The movie we watched was good.
- La comida estaba buena.The food was good.
- Tu trabajo es excelente.Your work is excellent.
- El servicio en este restaurante es excelente.The service in this restaurant is excellent.
- Hiciste un trabajo maravilloso.You did a wonderful job.
- ¿Cómo estuvo la fiesta? – Estuvo buena.How was the party? – It was good.
- Esta canción es buena.This song is good.
- ¡El concierto estuvo genial!The concert was great!
- Tu nuevo carro está muy chévere.Your new car is really cool.
- 885 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are discussing a movie they just watched.
- LucíaEl final de la película fue muy bueno.The end of the movie was very good.
- DanielSí, fue un momento muy bueno.Yes, it was a very good moment.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿te gustó la historia?Daniel, did you like the story?
- DanielSí, fue un guion muy bueno.Yes, it was a very good script.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bueno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bueno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
