bastante bien
/bastante bjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'pretty good' is translated into Spanish as bastante bien.
bastante bien is used to describe something that is of a satisfactory or high quality. When used to answer the question 'How are you?', it functions as a moderate positive response, often implying 'not bad' or 'fairly well'.
Which one should you use?
While bastante bien means 'pretty good' in terms of quality or state, it is an adverbial phrase and cannot be used to describe a noun directly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Different regions use different terms to convey the idea of 'pretty good' or 'cool'. In Latin American countries, the word Chévere is used to describe something as 'cool' or 'great'. In Spain, guay can be used to mean 'cool' to express 'pretty good'. In Argentina, re bien and joya are popular choices to convey 'pretty good'. In Chile, la raja is frequently used to mean 'pretty good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because bien is an adverb, you use bastante bien to describe how an action is performed or how one feels, rather than using an adjective like bueno.
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, chévere is used for 'pretty good', but its origins are debated, with some historians tracing it to the Efik language of Nigeria via the slave trade.
- Using the phrase la raja in Chile to mean 'pretty good' or 'great' is highly informal and can be quite shocking to a formal listener.
- The word bien shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'bonus', as both originate from the Proto-Italic root *dwenos.
Examples in context
- Tom disimula su dolor bastante bien.Tom does a pretty good job concealing his pain.This sentence shows how to use bastante bien to describe how someone conceals an action.Tatoeba #7838445 by arh, translation #1991969 by CK
- "¿Cómo te sientes esta mañana?" "Bastante bien, gracias.""How are you feeling this morning?" "Pretty good, thanks."This example shows using bastante bien as a response to a greeting about one's well-being.Tatoeba #553321 by Leono, translation #73696 by Zifre
- Hice un gratinado usando las sobras de ayer. Sabe bastante bien, ¿no?I made this gratin using yesterday's leftovers. It tastes pretty good, doesn't it?This sentence illustrates using bastante bien to describe how something tastes.Tatoeba #10106317 by manufrutos, translation #1075773 by CK
- La película que vimos anoche estuvo chévere/chida.The movie we watched last night was pretty good.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing a new restaurant they visited.
- Lucía¿Qué te pareció la comida?What did you think of the food?
- JavierLa verdad es que estuvo bastante bien.To be honest, it was pretty good.
- LucíaA mí también me gustó mucho.I liked it a lot too.
- JavierSí, es un lugar agradable.Yes, it is a pleasant place.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bastante, bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
