te ves bien
/te bes bjen/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you look good" is translated into Spanish as te ves bien.
This phrase is used as a compliment to tell someone that their current physical appearance is attractive or pleasing. While te ves bien focuses on how someone appears to the eye, avoid confusing it with te sientes bien, which means "you feel good" in a physical or emotional sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "you see yourself well" because it uses the reflexive pronoun te and the verb ver (to see).
Which one should you use?
Depending on who you are addressing, you may use different forms. Te ves bien is used for a single person in an informal context. To compliment a man specifically, you can use te ves guapo (you look handsome) and to compliment a woman, you can use te ves guapa (you look beautiful).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on the subject and level of formality. If you are speaking to someone formally using usted, change te ves bien to se ve bien. To tell a group of people they look good, use the plural form se ven bien.
How do you pronounce it?
/te bes bjen/
Did you know?
- Using the word guapo to mean 'good-looking' is common in Spain, but in some Latin American countries, it can sometimes imply someone is 'tough' or 'brave'.
- The word bien shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'bonus', both stemming from a Proto-Italic root meaning 'good'.
- In certain Spanish dialects, saying te ves bien to someone who has been ill is used as a way to say 'you look healthy' rather than just 'you look attractive'.
Examples in context
- Te ves bien con esa ropa.You look good in those clothes.This sentence shows how to compliment someone's appearance in specific clothing using te ves bien.Tatoeba #1783183 by marcelostockle, translation #1450788 by CK
- Te ves bien usando kimono.You look good in a kimono.This sentence shows how to compliment someone's appearance while wearing a kimono using te ves bien.Tatoeba #5048893 by don_ramon, translation #68850 by CK
- Te ves bien.You look good.This is a simple way to say te ves bien.Tatoeba #5023242 by don_ramon, translation #1011281 by DanaDescalza
- ¡Hola! Te ves muy bien con ese nuevo peinado.Hi! You look really good with that new hairstyle.
- Señor, quiero decirle que se ve muy bien con ese traje nuevo.Sir, I want to tell you that you look very good in that new suit.
- ¡Guapa! Te ves genial en esa foto.Beautiful! You look great in that picture.
- Profesora, luce muy bien hoy con ese vestido elegante.Teacher, you look very good today in that elegant dress.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena meet at a restaurant.
- AlejandroHola Elena, te ves bien hoy.Hello Elena, you look good today.
- Elena¡Gracias, Alejandro! Tú también te ves bien.Thanks, Alejandro! You look good too.
- AlejandroGracias, me gusta mucho este color.Thanks, I really like this color.
- ElenaSí, te queda muy bien.Yes, it looks very good on you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, te, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
