Which one should you use?
While sabe bien is a standard way to say something tastes good, you might encounter sabe rico in informal settings, which is a common and more enthusiastic way to say something tastes delicious. If you want to express that something is extremely pleasing or has an excellent flavor in a more formal context, you can use Tiene un sabor excelente or Está exquisito(a). For informal situations, you can use Está rico(a) to say it tastes delicious, Está buenísimo(a) to say it is really tasty or awesome or the colloquial phrase Está de rechupete to mean it is finger-licking good.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb must be conjugated to match the subject. If the food or drink being discussed is plural, use saben bien.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using está bueno to specifically refer to the flavor. While it is often used to mean food tastes good, sabe bien is the more accurate way to refer to the flavor or taste itself.
Did you know?
- While you use sabe bien to describe the flavor, saying está bueno to describe a person in some Latin American countries can carry a strong sexual connotation rather than just meaning 'he is a good person'.
- The colloquialism está de rechupete comes from the verb rechupetear, which mimics the sound and action of licking one's lips after eating something delicious.
- The word bien is derived from the Latin bene, which also gave English the prefix 'bene-' in words like 'beneficial' and 'benevolent'.
Examples in context
- Esa agua sabe bien.That water tastes good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase with water.Tatoeba #5253129 by wcharpentier, translation #5252928 by CarpeLanam
- Este pavo sabe bien.This turkey tastes good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase with turkey.Tatoeba #1396909 by marcelostockle, translation #58817 by CK
- Este vino sabe bien.This wine tastes good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase with wine.Tatoeba #6465339 by diegohn, translation #60576 by CK
- Esta pizza está rica.This pizza tastes delicious.
- El vino tiene un sabor excelente.The wine has an excellent flavor.
- ¡Esta salsa está buenísima!This sauce is awesome!
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are tasting a new soup.
- JavierPrueba la sopa, Lucía.Taste the soup, Lucía.
- LucíaMmm, sabe bien.Mmm, it tastes good.
- Javier¿Quieres más?Do you want more?
- LucíaSí, porque sabe bien.Yes, because it tastes good.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
