stai bene
The English phrase "you look good" is translated into Italian as stai bene.
stai bene is used to tell someone that they appear healthy or well. Other ways to express similar sentiments include Sei proprio in forma! (You look great!), Hai un aspetto fantastico oggi! (You look fantastic today!) and Stai davvero bene! (You look really good!).
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish stai bene from sei bello/a. While stai bene implies appearing healthy or well-suited to something, sei bello/a specifically means "you are beautiful/handsome".
Did you know?
- If you ask Stai bene?, the answer Sto bene means 'I am well', but the phrase Stai bene can also be used sarcastically to mean 'Are you out of your mind?' in certain contexts.
- While stai bene refers to health or appearance, the verb stare is also used to describe how a piece of clothing fits, such as Ti sta bene, meaning 'It looks good on you'.
- To say someone looks 'too good' in a suspicious way, an Italian might use stai troppo bene, which can imply that the person is being lazy or overly pampered.
Examples in context
- Stai bene in questa foto.You look good in this picture.This example shows how to say that someone looks good in a photo using stai bene.Tatoeba #1226038 by Guybrush88, translation #2701514 by CM
- Stai bene senza occhiali.You look good without your glasses.This example shows how to say that someone looks good without their glasses using stai bene.Tatoeba #5766470 by Guybrush88, translation #4695541 by Hybrid
- Stai bene senza occhiali indosso.You look good without your glasses on.This example shows how to say that someone looks good with their glasses off using stai bene.Tatoeba #5766475 by Guybrush88, translation #4695605 by CK
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo meet after a long time.
- MartinaCiao Lorenzo! Stai bene, sembra che tu sia riposato.Hi Lorenzo! You look good, you seem rested.
- LorenzoGrazie Martina, sono tornato da una vacanza.Thanks Martina, I just got back from a vacation.
- MartinaSi vede che stai bene davvero.It shows that you really look well.
- LorenzoAnche tu sembri in ottima forma.You look in great shape too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
