Today’s Spanish word of the day is “bien”. It’s usually used as an adverb translating as “well” or “OK”.
It can also be used as a masculine noun meaning “good”, “benefit” or “property/asset” (especially when used in the plural).
“Bien” is easy to confuse with “bueno”. The distinction is similar to that of “good” and “well” in English. “Bueno” is an adjective meaning “good”, while “bien” is an adverb meaning “well”. Compare the following:
- Has hecho bien. – You’ve done well.
- Has hecho algo bueno. – You’ve done something good.
The word “bien” comes from the Latin adverb bene, which had the same meaning. Latin bene is also the root of several English words, including “benefit”, “benevolent” and “benefactor”.
Example sentences
No dormí bien anoche.
I didn’t sleep well last night.
Mi perro está tan bien entrenado que hasta puede hacer mis impuestos.
My dog is so well trained that he can even do my taxes.
Todo lo que hacemos es por el bien de la comunidad.
Everything we do is for the good of the community.
Es importante comer bien.
It’s important to eat well.
Los bienes del empresario fueron embargados por el banco.
The businessman’s assets were seized by the bank.
