lo estás haciendo bien
/lo estas aθjendo bjen/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you're doing good" is translated as lo estás haciendo bien.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are performing a task correctly or successfully. While the English phrase "doing good" can sometimes imply performing morally good deeds, lo estás haciendo bien specifically refers to the quality of an action or a performance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lo (it), estás haciendo (you are doing) and bien (well).
Which one should you use?
You can use the continuous form lo estás haciendo bien (you are doing it well) to describe an action currently in progress, or the simple present form lo haces bien (you do it well) as a common alternative. To express more enthusiasm, you might use ¡Te sale genial! (You're doing great!) or ¡Vas muy bien! (You're doing very well!).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Puerto Rico, you may hear the enthusiastic expression ¡Lo estás haciendo de show! to mean "You're doing it really well!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase lo estás haciendo bien uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is currently in progress.
Did you know?
- While lo estás haciendo bien refers to skill, Spanish uses different verbs for 'doing' depending on the context. To say someone is 'doing' a favor or a duty, the verb hacer is used, but for 'doing' a walk, you use dar.
- The word bien comes from the Latin bene, which is the same root that gives English the prefix 'bene-' in words like 'beneficial' or 'benevolent'.
- To tell someone they are doing great, the phrase ¡Te sale genial! uses the verb salir, which literally means 'to leave' or 'to go out'. In this context, it describes how a result 'comes out'.
Examples in context
- No te preocupes, lo estás haciendo bien.Don't worry, you're doing good.
- Sigue así, lo estás haciendo bien con el dibujo.Keep it up, you're doing good with the drawing.
- Confío en ti, lo estás haciendo bien.I trust you, you're doing good.
Example conversation
Alejandro is coaching Sofía while she practices a new dance routine.
- Alejandro¿Cómo vas con los pasos nuevos, Sofía?How are you doing with the new steps, Sofía?
- SofíaMe siento un poco torpe, Alejandro.I feel a bit clumsy, Alejandro.
- AlejandroPara nada, lo estás haciendo bien.Not at all, you're doing good.
- Sofía¡Gracias! Me da más confianza.Thanks! That gives me more confidence.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, lo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
