Which one should you use?
Use bien as an adverb to describe how an action is performed. In contrast, bueno is an adjective used to describe a noun.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While bien is standard, using it as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'really' is considered informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, bien is used colloquially to mean 'very'. In Spain, people commonly use vale to express agreement, acknowledgment or a simple 'okay'. In Mexico and some other Latin American countries, the informal expression de pelos is used to mean 'great' or 'amazing'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, bien does not change its form to agree in gender or number with nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbjen/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use bueno instead of bien when they mean 'well' (for example, saying Yo estoy bueno instead of Yo estoy bien).
Did you know?
- If you say estoy bueno to mean 'I am well', you are actually saying 'I am attractive' or 'I am delicious'.
- The Spanish word bien is a distant relative of the English word 'bonus', as both trace their roots back to the Proto-Italic word dwenos.
- The word bien can be used in the expression bienvenido, which literally translates to 'come well' to mean 'welcome'.
Examples in context
- No va muy bien.It's not going very well.This sentence shows how to use bien to describe how a situation is progressing.Tatoeba #4431462 by Shishir, translation #4011944 by CK
- Yo sé eso bien.I know that well.This sentence shows how to use bien to describe the extent of knowledge.Tatoeba #4931282 by caiser, translation #2818807 by sundown
- No lo veo bien.You don't look well.This sentence shows how to use bien to describe someone's health or appearance.Tatoeba #7299890 by arh, translation #2059938 by Spamster
- Estuvo muy bien la presentación.The presentation was very good.
- ¡Hey! ¿Cómo estás? – ¡Todo bien!Hey! How are you? – All good!
- Vale, entiendo lo que quieres decir.Okay, I understand what you mean.
- El partido de fútbol estuvo de pelos.The soccer match was great.
- 1332 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking on the phone about her grandmother.
- Mateo¿Cómo está tu abuela?How is your grandmother?
- ElenaElla está muy bien.She is very well.
- MateoMe alegro de que esté bien.I am glad that she is well.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo.Thank you, Mateo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well” translations and entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
