está bien
/esta bjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase "it's okay" is translated into Spanish as está bien.
está bien is used to say that something is okay or alright. It is commonly used as a standalone response to indicate agreement with a suggestion or to signal that a situation is acceptable.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the third-person singular form of the verb estar (to be) and the adverb bien (well), meaning literally "it is well".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because it uses the verb estar, the phrase describes a state or condition rather than an inherent quality.
Did you know?
- While está bien is common, people in Mexico often use the phrase está bueno to mean something is 'okay' or 'good', though in other countries this can specifically refer to someone being physically attractive.
- The word bien shares an ancient root with the Latin word 'bonus', which is why many English words starting with 'bene-' like 'beneficial' are distant cousins to this Spanish adverb.
- In some regions, saying está bien can sound slightly dismissive or even annoyed depending on the tone, whereas in English 'it's okay' is often more neutral.
Examples in context
- Está bien si vas ahí y tomas asiento.It's okay if you go in there and take a seat.This sentence shows how to use está bien to grant permission for an action.Tatoeba #1220026 by marcelostockle, translation #582602 by FeuDRenais2
- Está bien mientras nadie se entere de eso.It's okay as long as no one finds out about it.This sentence demonstrates the use of está bien to describe an acceptable condition.Tatoeba #1836223 by marcelostockle, translation #1836156 by Spamster
- Está bien.It's okay.This sentence shows está bien used as a simple, standalone statement.Tatoeba #1372070 by marcelostockle, translation #2123589 by CK
- Lamento la demora en la entrega del informe. / No hay problema. Entiendo que hubo inconvenientes.I apologize for the delay in submitting the report. / It's okay. I understand there were difficulties.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel apologizes to Sofía for being a few minutes late.
- DanielPerdón, Sofía, llegué un poco tarde.Sorry, Sofía, I arrived a little late.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, está bien.Don't worry, it's okay.
- Daniel¿Todavía podemos ir al cine?Can we still go to the cinema?
- SofíaSí, está bien, vamos ahora.Yes, it's okay, let's go now.
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.
