¡guau, qué bien!
/ˈɡwau ˈke ˈbjen/word by word
In Spanish, "wow, that's great!" is expressed as ¡guau, qué bien!
This phrase is an enthusiastic reactive exclamation used to express enthusiastic approval or happiness regarding a piece of news or an event. You might also use other words to convey similar feelings: Impresionante means "Awesome", Maravilloso means "Marvelous" and Asombroso means "Amazing". If you want to express surprise or amazement, you can use the interjection vaya or the colloquial term caray.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interjection guau (wow) and the exclamation qué bien, which literally translates to "how well".
How does it change in a sentence?
While qué bien is the most common way to express "that's great" in response to news, you can also use ¡guau, qué bueno! to express that a situation or thing is good.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡwau ˈke ˈbjen/
Did you know?
- While guau sounds exactly like the English 'wow', it is also the standard onomatopoeia for a dog's bark in Spanish. Using it to express surprise might make a listener momentarily think of a canine.
- The word guau is a relatively recent addition to the Spanish language. It was borrowed from English rather than being a native Spanish term.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying qué bien can be used ironically to express the exact opposite, similar to saying 'great' when something goes wrong.
Examples in context
- ¡Guau, qué genial!Wow, that's great!
- ¡Ay, qué maravilla! ¡Estoy muy contento por ti!Oh, how wonderful! I'm very happy for you!
