Which one should you use?
Use está bien to mean something is acceptable, satisfactory or 'okay', whereas es bueno is used to describe the inherent quality or character of something. For expressing that something is "great" or "awesome", you can use the informal Está genial. If you want to say something is "good" in terms of taste or appearance, use the informal Está bueno/a.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb estar (to be in a state/condition) rather than ser (to be a characteristic), which is why it translates to 'is [in a] good [state]'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use es bueno when they mean "it is okay" or "it is fine" in a situational context. está bien is the correct choice for expressing that a situation or price is acceptable.
Did you know?
- If you say a person está buena, you are not saying they are a 'good person', but rather that they are physically attractive.
- The word bien shares an ancient ancestor with the Latin word bonus, which is the root of the English word 'benefit'.
- While está bien means 'it is okay', adding a slight emphasis on bien can turn it into a question ¿está bien?, which is often used as a filler to check if the listener is following along.
Examples in context
- El precio está bien.The price is good.This sentence is useful for saying the price is good.Tatoeba #12701842 by Shishir, translation #1663343 by CM
- Este libro está bien.This book is good.This sentence is useful for saying this book is good.Tatoeba #7583309 by arh, translation #8669537 by ajje
- Yo creo que éste está bien.I think this one is good.This sentence is useful for saying this one is good.Tatoeba #475264 by Shishir, translation #474613 by minshirui
- El trabajo que hiciste es bueno.The work you did is good.
- Tu actitud es buena.Your attitude is good.
- ¿Todo bien? Sí, todo está bien.Everything good? Yes, everything is good.
- La película estuvo bien.The movie was good.
- Tu nuevo coche está genial.Your new car is great.
- ¡La fiesta de anoche estuvo genial!Last night's party was awesome!
- El pastel está bueno.The cake is good.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are deciding on a restaurant for dinner.
- Alejandro¿Está bien este restaurante para ti?Is this restaurant okay for you?
- LucíaSí, el menú está bien.Yes, the menu is good.
- AlejandroPerfecto, entonces vamos.Perfect, let's go then.
- LucíaMe parece una buena idea.It sounds like a good idea to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
