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/ˈbweno/

Line drawing of bueno
Coloured illustration of bueno
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Translation

good, fine, okay

Word origin

From Latin bonus ('good').

Origin
Latin
Root
bonus
English cognates
bonus, bounty, bonny

Grammar

Femininebuena
Masc pluralbuenos
Fem pluralbuenas

Examples

buen .

It is a good time to speak with the boss.

, , .

Fine, if there is no other option, I accept it.

, prepararla.

This food is very good, thank you for preparing it.

.

The doctor told me the result was good.

.

My grandfather was the kindest man I have ever known.

Bueno is an adjective meaning "good," agreeing in gender and number with the noun it describes. Before a masculine singular noun it shortens to buen ("un buen libro" - a good book). As a discourse marker it functions as "well," "okay," or "right" to introduce a response or change of topic.

Bueno and bien are not interchangeable. Bueno is an adjective describing nouns ("comida buena" - good food), while bien is an adverb describing verbs and adjectives ("come bien" - eats well). "La comida está bien" is acceptable but slightly weaker than "está buena"; "come bueno" is simply wrong.

Where this fits

Used in

Stories

(45)

Grammar articles

(19)

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bueno: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Spanish word "bueno" (good, fine, okay): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 1.