se ve bien
/se be bjen/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'looks good' is translated as se ve bien.
se ve bien is used to say that something has a pleasing appearance. For a more intense feeling, you can say Se ve de maravilla to mean 'looks wonderful' or 'looks amazing'.
Which one should you use?
While se ve bien refers specifically to visual appearance, está bien is used to say something is 'okay' or 'correct' in a general sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can use the slang Se ve chido to mean 'looks good'. In Argentina, the slang Está piola is used to express that something 'looks good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the plural form se ven bien if the subject is plural, such as 'they look good'.
Did you know?
- The Argentine expression está piola used for 'looks good' comes from 'piola', which originally referred to a type of strong string or rope.
- The word ve in se ve bien comes from the Latin 'vidē', which is the root of the English word 'video'.
- While se ve bien describes a visual appearance, using está bien to describe a person's look can accidentally imply that they are merely 'acceptable' or 'fine' rather than attractive.
Examples in context
- Esto se ve bien.This looks good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase se ve bien with a singular subject.Tatoeba #6682433 by arh, translation #1808247 by Spamster
- Tu corbata se ve bien.Your tie looks good.This sentence shows how to use se ve bien when describing a person's clothing.Tatoeba #1503503 by marcelostockle, translation #50070 by CM
- La página web se ve bien.The website looks good.This sentence demonstrates the use of se ve bien when referring to a website.Tatoeba #5115439 by don_ramon, translation #7919366 by shekitten
- Tu traje se ve bienYour suit looks good
- La presentación está muy bienThe presentation looks very good
- luces bienYou look good
- Tu cabello se ve bienYour hair looks good
- Ese nuevo corte de pelo está genialThat new haircut looks great
- Hoy te ves guapaToday you look beautiful
- ¡Qué guapo te ves!You look handsome!
- Esa comida se ve de maravillaThat food looks amazing
- Tus ojos se ven hermososYour eyes look beautiful
- Tu vestido se ve eleganteYour dress looks elegant
- Esa pintura parece realistaThat painting looks realistic
- Ese peinado te queda muy bienThat hairstyle suits you well
- ¡Qué hermoso se ve el paisaje!How beautiful the landscape looks!
- Tu traje se ve elegante y sofisticadoYour suit looks elegant and sophisticated
- Esa comida tiene un aspecto deliciosoThat food looks delicious
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a newly painted wall.
- MaríaEl color se ve bien aquí.The color looks good here.
- JavierSí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
- María¿Crees que se ve bien con la luz?Do you think it looks good with the light?
- JavierSí, se ve bien, María.Yes, it looks good, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, se, ve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
