bene
[ˈbɛ.nɛ]
The English phrase 'okay' can be translated into Latin as bene.
bene is used to mean 'OK' or to indicate that something is happening 'well'. When used as an interjection at the start of a sentence, it functions as an acknowledgment similar to 'Very well' or 'Alright' in English.
Meaning: OK (intj)
Which one should you use?
Use bene to say something is happening 'well' or 'okay', but use the adjective bonus to describe a person or thing as 'good'.
Did you know?
- The word bene is the direct ancestor of many English words starting with 'bene', such as 'benefit', 'beneficial' and 'benevolent'.
- The opposite of bene is male, which means 'badly'. This is why English uses the word 'malfunction' to describe something that is not working 'okay'.
Examples in context
- Omnes bene possunt audire me?Can everyone hear me okay?This sentence shows how to use bene to ask if someone can hear you okay.Tatoeba #10653773 by carlosalberto, translation #10649576 by Luornu
- Bene, parata sum.Okay, I'm ready.This sentence demonstrates using bene as an interjection meaning 'Okay'.Tatoeba #7480320 by CarpeLanam, translation #2209940 by Hybrid
- Bene, hoc faciamus.Okay, let's do this.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marcus and Lucia are planning their afternoon walk.
- MarcusLucia, eamusne ad silvam?Lucia, shall we go to the forest?
- LuciaBene, Marce, eamus.Okay, Marcus, let's go.
- MarcusViam cognosco.I know the way.
- LuciaOptime.Excellent.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bene, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
