oh, qué bien
/ˈo ˈke ˈbjen/word by word
In Spanish, "oh nice" is translated as oh, qué bien.
The phrase is an exclamation used to express pleasure or approval when you hear good news.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase qué bien literally translates to "how well".
Which one should you use?
While English speakers use the adjective "nice" to express approval in this context, Spanish uses the adverb bien (well) for this specific idiomatic exclamation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various regions have their own preferred informal expressions. In Mexico, you might hear ¡Qué padre! or ¡Qué chido! (How cool/awesome!). In Argentina, ¡Qué copado! is a common way to say "Oh nice!" In Spain, ¡Qué guay! is a popular way to say "How cool!", while in some regions of Spain, ¡Qué majo! is an informal way to say "Oh nice!"
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, exclamations of this type often use an opening exclamation mark at the beginning of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈo ˈke ˈbjen/
Did you know?
- While qué bien is a general expression of approval, the Mexican alternative ¡Qué padre! literally means 'how father!', though it has nothing to do with parents.
- In Argentina, the word copado used to express approval comes from the verb 'copar', which originally meant to capture or seize something.
- The Mexican slang ¡Qué chido! is believed by some linguists to have originated from 'pachuco' culture, a blend of Spanish and English spoken by migrants in the US.
Examples in context
- ¡Esa presentación fue excelente! ¡Qué bueno!That presentation was excellent! How good!
- ¡Lograste terminar el proyecto! ¡Qué maravilla!You managed to finish the project! How marvelous!
- ¡Compré las entradas para el concierto! ¡Qué chido!I bought the tickets for the concert! How cool!
- ¡Tu nuevo coche está increíble! ¡Qué padre!Your new car is incredible! How awesome!
- ¡Vamos a la playa este fin de semana! ¡Genial!Let's go to the beach this weekend! Great!
- ¡Qué chido que te hayas graduado!How cool that you graduated!
- ¡Qué padre se ve tu nuevo peinado!Your new hairstyle looks awesome!
- Aprendiste a tocar la guitarra muy rápido, ¡genial!You learned to play the guitar very quickly, great!
- ¡Qué bueno! ¡Vas por buen camino!How good! You're on the right track!
- Me dieron el trabajo. ¡Oh, qué bien!I got the job. Oh, that's great!
- Oh, qué bien que hayas aprobado el examen.Oh, how nice that you passed the exam.
- Oh, qué bien, ya terminó la lluvia.Oh, how nice, the rain has finally stopped.
Example conversation
Alejandro tells Lucía that he got a new job.
- AlejandroLucía, ¡por fin conseguí el trabajo!Lucía, I finally got the job!
- Lucía¡Oh, qué bien! Te lo mereces mucho.Oh, that's great! You really deserve it.
- AlejandroGracias, estoy muy emocionado.Thanks, I am very excited.
- LucíaDe nada, Alejandro. ¡Felicidades!You're welcome, Alejandro. Congratulations!
