How to Say "It Was Good" in Spanish

estuvo bien

/estubo bjen/from spelling rules

In Spanish, "it was good" is translated as estuvo bien.

Estuvo bien is a phrase used to describe a past event or experience that was satisfactory or pleasant. Depending on the specific nuance of your experience, you might choose other informal expressions: Estuvo rico means it was delicious or really good, ¡Estuvo de lujo! suggests it was outstanding or luxurious, Estuvo genial or ¡Estuvo increíble! can both be used to say something was great or amazing.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the third-person singular preterite of estar (to be/to stay) and the adverb bien (well/fine).

Which one should you use?

There is a distinction between using estuvo bien and fue bueno. Use estuvo bien to describe an experience or an event, but use fue bueno if you are describing the inherent quality or character of a person or a thing.

Is it said differently in some regions?

Different regions have specific ways to express that something was cool or great. In Latin America, you can use Estuvo chévere, while in Spain, Estuvo guay is a common way to say something was good or cool.

How does it change in a sentence?

Use estaba bien if you are describing a continuous state or setting the scene in the past, such as saying 'The weather was good when I arrived'.

Did you know?

The word chévere used in estuvo chévere is thought by some linguists to originate from the English word 'cheap' or 'chevere' from African languages.
The word rico in estuvo rico usually means 'rich' when describing a person, but it is the standard way to describe a meal that tasted good.
If you say estuvo bien to describe a meal, a native speaker might think you mean the meal was merely 'okay' or 'adequate' rather than delicious.

Examples in context

Estuvo bien trabajar contigo.
It was good working with you.
This sentence shows how to use estuvo bien to describe a past experience.
Tatoeba #3519031 by teskmon, translation #3518505 by CK
El evento fue un éxito. Estuvo bien organizado y muy interesante.
The event was a success. It was well-organized and very interesting.
La cena de anoche estuvo rica.
Last night's dinner was delicious.
¡El concierto estuvo de lujo!
The concert was outstanding!
La película que vi el otro día estuvo genial.
The movie I watched the other day was great.
¡El viaje estuvo increíble!
The trip was amazing!
La fiesta estuvo chévere. Bailamos toda la noche.
The party was cool. We danced all night.
El concierto estuvo guay. Me encantó la banda.
The concert was cool. I loved the band.
El concierto estuvo bien.
The concert was good.
Todo estuvo bien en la fiesta.
Everything was good at the party.

Example conversation

Javier and Elena are talking about a concert they attended last night.

Javier

¿Qué te pareció el concierto, Elena?
What did you think of the concert, Elena?
Elena

La verdad es que estuvo bien.
To be honest, it was good.
Javier

¿Te gustó la canción final?
Did you like the final song?
Elena

Sí, fue mi parte favorita.
Yes, it was my favorite part.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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How to Say “It Was Good” in Spanish