no tan bueno
/no tan bweno/from spelling rules
The English phrase "not so good" is translated into Spanish as no tan bueno.
The phrase is used to describe something that is of low quality or not as satisfactory as expected.
Which one should you use?
Use no tan bueno to describe the quality of a noun, such as a movie. In contrast, use no tan bien to describe how an action is performed or how someone is feeling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use no tan buena for feminine nouns, no tan buenos for masculine plural or no tan buenas for feminine plural. When you use the phrase as a complete sentence to describe a situation or an object, you typically add the verb ser (to be), as in no es tan bueno.
When do people say it?
You may also use the informal idiomatic phrase Nada del otro mundo, which means "nothing out of this world" and suggests that something is mediocre or average.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying no está mal (it is not bad) is actually a stronger compliment than saying no tan bueno, often implying that something is surprisingly high quality.
- While no tan bueno describes quality, Spanish speakers often use the phrase está mal to say something is 'not so good' when referring to a situation or a physical state.
- The word tan used in this phrase is a direct descendant of the Latin word 'tam', which functioned similarly to express intensity or degree.
Examples in context
- La película que vimos fue nada del otro mundo.The movie we watched was nothing special.
- La película no es tan buena.The movie is not so good.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are discussing a movie they just watched.
- Elena¿Qué te pareció la película, Alejandro?What did you think of the movie, Alejandro?
- AlejandroFue no tan bueno como esperaba.It was not as good as I expected.
- ElenaEstoy de acuerdo, fue muy aburrida.I agree, it was very boring.
- AlejandroSí, perdimos nuestro tiempo.Yes, we wasted our time.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bueno, no, tan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
