está bien
/esta bjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase "okay fine" can be translated into Spanish as está bien.
está bien is used as an expression to show agreement or to accept a situation.
Which one should you use?
While está bien can mean "it is okay" in a general sense, it is the standard way to express agreement or acceptance of a situation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, Vale is commonly used to mean "Okay" and De acuerdo is commonly used to mean "Okay/agreed". In Mexico, Está bien is often used to mean "It's fine/okay".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb estar (to be) rather than ser (to be) because it describes a state or condition rather than an inherent characteristic.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you say está bien with a heavy sigh or a specific downward tone, it can signal resentment rather than true agreement.
- The word bien shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Latin word 'bonus', which is the root of the English word 'bonus' and 'beneficial'.
- Depending on the context, está bien can be used as a polite way to tell someone to stop doing something, effectively meaning 'that is enough'.
Examples in context
- Vale, ¡me parece genial!Okay, sounds great to me!
- Está bien, no lo haré de nuevo.Okay, I won't do it again.
- Muy bien, profesor/a. Me aseguraré de hacerlo puntualmente.Very well, professor. I will make sure to do it promptly.
- Está bien, lo haré.Okay fine, I will do it.
- Está bien, acepto tu propuesta.Okay fine, I accept your proposal.
- Está bien, podemos ir mañana.Okay fine, we can go tomorrow.
- Está bien, no te preocupes.Okay fine, don't worry.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are deciding which movie to watch.
- Javier¿Podemos ver la película de terror?Can we watch the horror movie?
- SofíaNo me gustan mucho, pero está bien.I don't like them much, but okay fine.
- Javier¡Gracias, Sofía!Thanks, Sofía!
- SofíaDe nada, Javier.You're welcome, Javier.
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.
