bine
/ˈbi.ne/
The English phrase "okay" can be translated into Romanian as bine.
In Romanian, bine is used as an interjection to signal agreement or the acceptance of a suggestion or instruction. It is also common to use it as a tag question at the end of a sentence to seek confirmation or agreement from the listener. While bine is often used to mean "okay", its primary meaning is the adverb "well" or "good".
Meaning: OK (intj)
Which one should you use?
While bine can function as the interjection "okay", you should distinguish it from its primary use as the adverb meaning "well" or "good".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase da, în regulă is a common way to say "okay" or "alright" throughout most Romanian-speaking regions, such as Bucharest.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using bine as a tag question at the end of a sentence to confirm something, for example, asking "okay?", it is typically used with a rising intonation as bine?
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈbi.ne/.
Did you know?
- In Romania, a slight tilt of the head upward combined with a clicking sound of the tongue often accompanies a skeptical bine, signaling 'okay, if you say so' rather than true agreement.
- Because bine comes from the Latin bene, it shares the same root as the English words 'benefit' and 'beneficial'.
- While bine means 'well', the Romanian expression nu e bine can be used to indicate that something is not just wrong, but morally incorrect or inappropriate.
Examples in context
- Să nu bei prea mult, bine?Don't drink too much, okay?This sentence shows how to use bine as a tag question to check if someone will follow a suggestion.Tatoeba #5210594 by fathe, translation #965572 by riccioberto
- Nu uita să-ți faci tema, bine?Don't forget to do your homework, okay?This sentence demonstrates using bine as a tag question to ensure someone remembers an instruction.Tatoeba #4998315 by elenacristina260, translation #3786123 by AlanF_US
- Nu chiuli, bine?Don't skip classes, okay?This sentence uses bine as a tag question to seek confirmation regarding a command.Tatoeba #4948854 by elenacristina260, translation #3786134 by AlanF_US
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ioana and Gabriel are deciding where to eat lunch.
- IoanaMergem la restaurantul de lângă parc?Shall we go to the restaurant near the park?
- GabrielBine, sună bine!Okay, sounds good!
- IoanaNe vedem acolo la ora unu, bine?We'll meet there at one o'clock, okay?
- GabrielBine, ne vedem atunci.Okay, see you then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
