Just like in English, the word ‘good’ is very useful and it can be applied to many different contexts. Since depending on what you want to say, you will need to use a different term, people often wonder how to say good in Spanish.
The most common ways to say good in Spanish include:
- Bien – Good / Well
- Bueno – Good
- Válido – Valid / Good
- Rico – Good / Delicious
- Apropiado – Appropriate / Good
- Producto – Good
Just like in English, depending on how they are being used, these words can either work as adjectives or nouns.
Knowing different words to express an idea will really take your Spanish to another level as you’ll be able to add diversity and specificity to your conversations. So if you’re interested in those things, keep reading, because in this article I’ll show you 6 ways to say good in Spanish.
1. Bien – Well
Bien is an incredibly useful word because, as a standard term, it can be used in multiple scenarios. It frequently carries a similar meaning as the words ‘well’, ‘good’, ‘okay’, ‘properly’ or ‘correctly’. In this sense, you can use it whenever you’re talking about health or a good performance.
To talk about health you’ll need to add a reflexive pronoun before the verbs ‘sentir’ or ‘encontrar’.
[Noun] + [reflexive pronoun] + [verb conjugated] + (adverb) + bien
No me siento bien.
I don’t feel well.
Mamá, ¿te sientes bien?
Mom, do you feel okay?
Mi abuela no se encuentra bien.
My grandmother is not feeling well.
As established before, one of the most common uses of ‘bien’ is to describe or qualify how well someone does a certain activity. In this case, you can use adverbs to intensify it.
[Noun] + [verb conjugated] + (advb) + bien
Tu amiga canta muy bien.
Your friend sings very well.
La mamá de Paty cocina bastante bien.
Patty’s mom cooks very well.
La lavadora ya no funciona bien.
The washing machine is not working properly.
Another common use of ‘bien’ is when referring to the morality of actions, as a translation of ‘right’, ‘okay’ or ‘nice’.
[Complement] + [‘estar’ conjugated] + bien
Lo que hiciste no estuvo bien.
What you did was not okay.
Mentir no está bien.
Lying is not right.
Just like in English, ‘bien’ also works as a noun. In this case, it translates as ‘own good’, ‘sake’ or ‘benefit’.
[Complement] + por + [possessive adjective] + bien
Te lo digo por tu bien.
I’m telling you for your own good.
Lo hice por su bien.
I did it for his own good.
A veces los padres son estrictos por nuestro bien.
Sometimes parents are strict for our own good.
2. Bueno – Good
If you ever want to compliment someone’s food, describe how good the character and skills of a person are, talk about the benefits of an activity, or just rate anything in general, knowing the word bueno will make things easy for you. In these contexts, bueno translates as ‘good’ or ‘great’.
Notice that you can add ‘muy’ before ‘bueno’ and also intensify or exaggerate your sentence by adding ‘ísimo’ or ‘ísima’ to ‘buen’.
[‘Ser’ conjugated] + (muy) + bueno/a + [noun]
Eres muy buena persona.
You are a very good person.
Luisa es muy buena maestra.
Luisa is a very good teacher.
Fernando es muy buen papá.
Fernando is a very good dad.
If instead of describing a person you want to provide your opinion about an object, activity or event, you can use the following phrase structures.
[Noun] + [‘estar’ conjugated] + bueno/a
Este chocolate está buenísimo.
This chocolate is so good.
Estas enchiladas no están tan buenas como las de mi abuela.
These enchiladas are not as good as my grandmother’s.
[Complement] + [‘ser’ conjugated] + (muy) + bueno/a + para + [complement]
La linaza es buenísima para la digestión.
Flaxseed is great for digestion.
Caminar una hora al día es bueno para la salud.
Walking for an hour a day is good for your health.
Take note: The plural buenos can be used to say ‘buenos días’, ‘buenas tardes’ and ‘buenas noches’, which mean ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ or ‘good evening’ and ‘good night’, respectively.
3. Válido – Valid
As you can imagine, válido is the direct translation of ‘valid’ or ‘good’. With this word you can express that something has validity for a certain time, for certain benefits and other specificities. As a result, you’ll usually see this word when people are talking about things like documents, promos, and tickets among other things.
[Noun] + [‘ser’ conjugated] + válido/a + [complement]
Mi pasaporte es válido por cinco años.
My passport is good for five years.
Esta promoción es válida hasta el 8 de septiembre.
This promo is good until September 8.
Su membresía sólo es válida en los Estados Unidos.
Your membership is only good in the United States.
4. Rico – Delicious / Good
Although you can also use ‘bueno’ in this context, if you want to sound like a native speaker when describing food and flavors, you need to master the word rico. As you probably guessed by now, ‘rico’ is translated as ‘delicious’, ‘good’ or ‘tasty’ but it has a slightly more informal connotation.
Also, it’s very common to just use the expression ‘qué rico’ to indicate that you think something is really good, but if you want to specify what you’re talking about you can use the next phrase structures.
Just like with ‘bueno’ you can add the adverb ‘muy’ or change rico to riquísimo in order to give emphasis to the sentence.
Qué + rico/a + (‘estar’ conjugated’) + [noun]
Qué rica estaba la cena.
Dinner was delicious.
Qué ricos tacos, ¿quién los hizo?
These tacos are delicious, who cooked them?
Qué ricos postres venden en este restaurante.
The desserts they sell in this restaurant are delicious.
Here is another phrase structure that you can use. Notice that in this case, this formula is used to introduce the dish that you’re referring to.
[Noun] + [‘estar’ conjugated’] + (advb) + rico
Este café está riquísimo.
This coffee is delicious.
Las papas a las francesa no estaban tan ricas.
The French fries weren’t as good.
El arroz que hizo tu mamá estuvo muy rico.
The rice that your mother made was very good.
Take note: If used to talk about people, rico works as the direct translation of ‘rich’. Since we don’t taste people (hopefully), in this context, rico is used to describe a wealthy person.
Mis primos son muy ricos.
My cousins are very rich.
5. Apropiado – Appropriate / Good
Imagine that you want to ask if what you’re doing is suitable or good for the occasion. In this context, you can use the word apropiado, which is the direct translation of ‘appropriate’. This word describes something that results suitable for the circumstances or the goal you want to achieve. So it can also be translated as ‘good’, ‘best’ or ‘suitable’.
This Spanish word for good is a little formal, but it can be used in casual conversations as well. Keep in mind that, ‘apropiado’ is an adjective, so you’ll need to change it to match the gender or number of the thing or person that you’re referring to. Here are some examples:
[Noun] + [‘ser’ conjugated] + apropiado/a
¿Este vestido es apropiado para una cita?
Is this dress appropriate for a date?
La comida fue apropiada para ese tipo de fiesta.
The food was appropriate for that kind of party.
Esta computadora es apropiada para mi trabajo.
This computer is good for my work.
La manera en la que te comportaste no fue la más apropiada.
The way you behaved was not the best.
6. Producto – Product / Good
Just by reading this word, you can probably tell that producto is the direct translation of ‘product’. So, we use it to refer to goods, which are items that are usually manufactured (“goods and services”). Unlike other words from this list, this Spanish word for ‘good’ only works as a noun.
You’ll notice that this ‘producto’ is usually applied in ads or in places like stores and online shops. So if you like shopping or you work in sales, I bet you’ll encounter this word very frequently.
[Determiner] + producto + [complement]
Ofrecemos gran variedad de productos.
We offer a wide variety of goods.
Tendremos que liquidar estos productos.
We’ll have to sell off these products.
Los productos que venden en esa tienda son de alta calidad.
The goods they sell in that store are of high quality.
Wrapping Up
Now that you know that there are more ways to say good in Spanish than ‘bueno’, you’re ready to put your knowledge into practice. Now, you’ll be able to compliment people’s dishes, skills, and character and grade how good things are. So this means that you’ll also be able to develop your opinions a bit more and also understand other people’s opinions a lot better.
If you constantly use these words, people will notice that your conversational skills have improved and that you have a better understanding of the language. So keep it up and soon hablarás español muy bien.
Related Resource: Difference Between ‘Bien’ and ‘Bueno’
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The basic word for «good» in Spanish is «bueno» (boo-EHN-oh). Even if you don’t know much Spanish, you may already be familiar with this word. Bueno is an adjective. Use the word bien (BEE-ehn) when you need a noun or an adverb. Once you’ve mastered bueno, take your Spanish to the next level with slang words and common phrases that incorporate the word.[1]
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Say «bueno» (boo-EHN-oh) when something is good. Bueno is the basic way to say «good» in Spanish. As an adjective, it is used similarly to the way the word good is used in English. It means something that is suitable, favorable, or morally proper.[2]
- For example, you might say «Este libro es bueno,» or «This book is good.»
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Change the ending to agree in gender and number. Since bueno is an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it’s modifying. If the noun is feminine, you would say «buena» (boo-EHN-ah). Add an s to the end if the noun is plural.[3]
- If you’re confused, just look for the thing that’s being described as good. That’s the noun the adjective bueno needs to agree with.
- For example, you might say «eso es una buena señal» to mean «this is a good sign.» Since the word señal is feminine, you would use the feminine form of the word bueno. If there were several signs rather than just one, you would say «estas son buenas señales.»
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Shorten the word to «buen» in front of masculine nouns. If you are somewhat familiar with Spanish, you may recognize that bueno is the masculine form of the word. But when it occurs immediately before a masculine noun, you drop the ending.[4]
- For example, a single friend might lament «Un buen hombre es difícil de encontrar,» which means «A good man is hard to find.» Since the word hombre is a masculine noun, bueno is shortened to buen.
- However, if the word bueno appears after the masculine noun it modifies, you don’t shorten it at all. For example, «Es un informe bueno» or «It is a good report.»
- Bueno may generally appear before or after the noun. For example, «el libro bueno» and «el buen libro» are both correct.
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Add «muy» (MOO-ee) to say «very good.» The word muy is an adverb that means «very.» You can put it in front of bueno to intensify the adjective. While the word bueno still needs to agree with the noun in gender and number, the word muy never changes.[5]
- For example: «Este vino es muy bueno» (This wine is very good).
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Use «válido» (VAH-lee-doh) if you mean that something is valid. If you want to talk about something being current, in order, or acceptable, you might use the word good in English. In Spanish, you would use the word válido.[6]
- For example you would say «Mi pasaporte es válido por 10 años» to mean «My passport is good [valid] for 10 years.»
- You may also use válido to say that something is correct or accurate. For example: «Es un texto válido.» (It is a valid text.)
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Avoid «bueno» to describe yourself. When someone asks you how you’re doing (¿Cómo estás?») you might be tempted to reply «Estoy bueno» or «I’m good.» Just as in English, this is grammatically incorrect.[7]
- Bueno is an adjective. When you say «estoy bueno,» this may be interpreted as though you are saying «I am good looking.» If you go around telling people that, they’ll think you’re egotistical.
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Say «bien» (BEE-ehn) to talk about a virtue or benefit. In Spanish, good can be a noun as well as an adjective. The noun form, bien, is used for something that is beneficial or positive.[8]
- For example, you might say «esto no habría estado bien» to mean «that would not have been good.»
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Respond «estoy bien» (ESS-toy BEE-ehn) to mean «I’m fine.» The word bien is also used in Spanish as an adverb, similar to the word well in English. If someone asks you how you’re doing («¿Cómo estás?») you can reply by saying «estoy bien.»
- Generally, you can understand when best to use bien and bueno if you think about when you would properly use the words well and good in English.
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Say «¡Muy bien!» to reply to good news. If someone tells you about an achievement or positive development, ¡Muy bien! is used in the same way you might say «Way to go!» or «Good for you!» in English.[9]
- For example, if you watched a friend score the winning goal in his soccer match, you might say «¡Muy bien! Lo hiciste genial!» or «Very good! You did great!»
- Muy bien is also used as a phrase meaning «very well,» the same as you would say that in English. For example: «Trabajamos muy bien juntos.» (We work very well together.)
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Use the plural «los bienes» to talk about merchandise. In English, it’s common to refer to merchandise as «goods,» particularly in a retail or business setting. In Spanish, you use the plural of the noun bien.[10]
- For example: «La gente tiende a pagar en efectivo por los bienes y servicios.» (People tend to pay cash for goods and services.)
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Use the plural form to say «good morning» or «goodnight.» In Spanish, you can see the word bueno in the phrases «Buenos días» (good morning) and «buenas noches» (good night).[11]
- «Buenos días» could be literally translated as «good days,» but it’s used primarily to mean «good morning.»
- «Buenos noches» is used more like «good evening» would be used in English, as it can be both a greeting and a farewell.
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Try «buena onda» (boo-EHN-ah OHN-dah) as slang for «cool.» While the phrase literally means «good wave,» many Latin Americans use this phrase to mean «cool» or «good vibe.» You may hear it used in Argentina and Chile, as well as parts of Mexico.[12]
- Spanish is a more formal language than English, so be careful who you use this phrase with. You wouldn’t want to speak this casually to someone older than you or in a position of authority.
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Talk about inanimate objects with «buenazo» (boo-ehn-AHS-soh). Particularly in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru, this fun alteration of the word bueno means you’re saying a particular object is really cool. Typically it isn’t used to describe people.[13]
- For example, you might say «Ese coche es buenazo» or «That car is cool.»
- While you may hear buenazo used to describe people, the meaning of the word is different in different countries, and may not always be complimentary. Ask someone what it means before you attempt to use it to talk about a person.
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Use «todo bien» (TOH-doh BEE-ehn) to say «all good.» Just as in English, Spanish speakers have a common phrase that means «all good» or literally «all well.» The phrase is used in Spanish in similar situations as it would be in English.[14]
- For example, a mother might say «Están muy callados, niños. ¿Va todo bien?» (You’re too quiet, kids. Is everything okay?») The kids reply «¡Todo bien, mamá!» (All good, mom!).
- The phrase also appears in «hasta aquí todo bien,» which means «so far, so good.»
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Article SummaryX
To say «good» in Spanish, say «bueno» when you want to describe something as good. For example, if you enjoyed a book, you could say that it was «bueno.» If you want to use «good» as a noun or an adverb, say «bien» instead. For example, if someone asked you how you are, and you want to tell them that you’re good, you could say «estoy bien.» To learn how to say «very good» in Spanish, scroll down!
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adjective
better (comparative)best (superlative)
When good is part of a set combination, eg in a good temper, a good deal of, good heavens, look up the noun.
The commonest translation of good is bueno, which must be shortened to [buen] before a masculine singular noun.
1 (satisfactory) bueno
a good book un buen libro; at the end of the day, it’s a good investment a fin de cuentas es una buena inversión
Note that [bueno]/[buena] etc precede the noun in general comments where there is no attempt to compare or rank the person or thing involved:
he’s a good translator
if he set his mind to it, he could be a very good painter si se lo propusiera podría ser muy buen pintor; she was a good wife and mother era una buena esposa y madre; she has a good figure tiene buen tipo
[Bueno]/[buena] etc follow the noun when there is implied or explicit comparison:
we could make a list of good teachers podríamos hacer una lista de profesores buenos; I’m not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing no digo que sea una cosa buena, ni mala
she’s got good legs you’ve got good hair
Use [ser] rather than [estar] with [bueno] when translating [to be good], unless describing food:
the idea is a good one la idea es buena; it’s good to be aware of the views of intelligent people es bueno conocer los puntos de vista de la gente inteligente; the paella was very good la paella estaba muy buena
Use [estar] with the adverb [bien] to give a general comment on a situation:
you’ve written a book, which is good has escrito un libro, lo que está bien; his hearing is good del oído está bien; el oído lo tiene bien
she’s good at maths se le dan bien las matemáticas; es buena en matemáticas
she’s good at singing canta bien; she’s good at putting people at their ease tiene la capacidad de hacer que la gente se sienta relajada
that’s good enough for me eso me basta
I’m doing a job I love and that’s good enough for me [=I’m content with that] When I was level with Gary’s record, I felt that was good enough for me. He swore to me he had done nothing wrong and that was good enough for me [=I was convinced] Even though the event might not be highly profitable, as long as everyone involved enjoys it, that’s good enough for me
it’s just not good enough! ¡esto no se puede consentir!
i didn’t mean to stay out late. I just forgot the time — It’s just not good enough it is not good enough to say that parents should control what children watch on TV
40% of candidates are not good enough to pass el 40% de los candidatos no dan el nivel or la talla para aprobar
to feel good sentirse bien
I started to feel good about myself again empecé a recuperar mi autoestima or la moral; I don’t feel very good about that (I’m rather ashamed) me da bastante vergüenza
we’ve never had it so good! (informal) ¡nunca nos ha ido tan bien!; ¡jamás lo hemos tenido tan fácil!
how good is her eyesight? ¿qué tal está de la vista?
he has good manners his manners are good
you’re looking good ¡qué guapa estás!
having a healthy skin is not just about looking good carpets need regular cleaning to keep them looking good
things are looking good las cosas van bien; la cosa tiene buena pinta (informal)
Weather conditions are still looking good One of the Conservative campaign team claimed: `It’s looking good. We are on course to win’ things are looking good for the Conservatives Your finances are looking good, so give yourself a treat
you look good in that eso te sienta or te va bien
you can have too much of a good thing lo mucho cansa (y lo poco agrada)
it’s too good to be true no puede ser; es demasiado bueno para ser cierto
he sounds too good to be true! ¡algún defecto tiene que tener!
she’s good with cats entiende bien a los gatos; sabe manejarse bien con los gatos
he’s good with his hands It seems like a great idea, but it’s too good to be true if you ask me. There’s bound to be a catch The offer of a new slimline body with no bumps or lumps, no rolls of fat, involving no starvation, no step classes, no aerobics, no swimming, no pain and no surgery, seems too good to be true. She claims that this is the best method of slimming she has ever come across. Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true, but take a look It sounded too good to be true — and it was I had been right. He was too good to be true. The wit, charm and intelligence were genuine but flawed by an inability to face the truth to be too much of a good thing a six-month period in which to be moderate in your eating habits. You must just learn that you can have too much of a good thing a chocolate Swiss roll, with chocolate filling, coated with chocolate. You may find the rich taste of chocolate is too much of a good thing
2 (of high quality)
always use good ingredients utilice siempre ingredientes de calidad or los mejores ingredientes; it’s made of good leather está hecho con cuero del bueno
it’s important to have good equipment this is my only good dress 200 was a good score in those conditions
3 (pleasant) [+holiday, day] bueno; agradable; [+weather, news] bueno
it was as good as a holiday aquello fue como unas vacaciones
have a good journey! ¡buen viaje!
how good it is to know that …! ¡cuánto me alegro de saber que …!
it’s good to see you me alegro de verte; gusto en verte; (LAm)
it’s good to be here da gusto estar aquí
have a good trip! ¡buen viaje!
it’s good to be alive it’s [as] good [as] a holiday to me
4 (beneficial, wholesome) [+food] bueno; sano; [+air] puro; sano
it’s good for burns es bueno para las quemaduras
it’s good for you or your health te hace bien
this climate is not good for one’s health the shock was good for him [=morally improving] what’s good for the consumer isn’t necessarily good for the economy it’s good for you to swim
spirits are not good for me los licores no me sientan bien; he eats more than is good for him come más de lo que le conviene
milk is good for children
all this excitement isn’t good for me! ¡a mí todas estas emociones no me vienen or sientan nada bien!; it’s good for the soul! ¡ennoblece el espíritu!; ¡te enriquece (como persona)!; if you know what’s good for you you’ll say yes por la cuenta que te tiene dirás que sí; some children know more than is good for them algunos niños son demasiado listos or saben demasiado
it’s [still] good to eat last week’s bread is still good the water from the well is still good it stays good for weeks
5 (favourable) [+moment, chance] bueno
it’s a good chance to sort things out es una buena oportunidad de or para arreglar las cosas
I tried to find something good to say about him traté de encontrar algo bueno que decir de él
it would be a good thing or idea to ask him no estaría mal or no sería mala idea preguntárselo
this is as good a time as any to do it es tan buen momento como cualquier otro para hacerlo
6 (useful)
the only good chair la única silla que está bien; la única silla servible or sana
to be good for (doing) sth servir para (hacer) algo
my car is good for another few years
it’ll be good for some years durará todavía algunos años; he’s good for ten years yet tiene todavía por delante diez años de vida
he’s good for £5
John’s good for a few hundred pounds John seguramente puede prestarnos unos cientos de libras; I’m good for another mile todavía puedo aguantar otra milla más; the ticket is good for three months el billete es válido or valedero para tres meses; he’s good for nothing es un inútil; es completamente inútil
7 (sound, valid) [+excuse] bueno
unless you have a good excuse a menos que tengas una buena excusa
for no good reason sin motivo alguno
he is a good risk (financially) concederle crédito es un riesgo asumible; se le puede prestar dinero
is his credit good? deutschmarks are good anywhere in Europe what how much is he good for?
8 (kind)
that’s very good of you es usted muy amable; ¡qué amable (de su parte)!
he was so good as to come with me tuvo la amabilidad de acompañarme
please would you be so good as to help me down with my case? ¿me hace el favor de bajarme la maleta?; ¿tendría la bondad de bajarme la maleta? (formal); would you be so good as to sign here? ¿me hace el favor de firmar aquí?
he’s a good sort es buena persona or gente
he was good to me fue muy bueno or amable conmigo; se portó bien conmigo
9 (well-behaved) [+child] bueno
be good! (morally) ¡sé bueno!; (in behaviour) ¡pórtate bien!; (at this moment) ¡estáte formal!
to be as good as gold portarse como un ángel or santo
the child has been as good as gold
10 (upright, virtuous) bueno
he’s a good man es una buena persona; es un buen hombre
I think I’m as good as him yo me considero tan buena persona como él
the twelve good men and true los doce hombres justos
yes, my good man sí, mi querido amigo
send us a photo of your good self tenga a bien enviarnos una foto suya
she’s too good for him ella es más de lo que él se merece
your good lady (wife) frm or hum
11 (close) bueno
he’s a good friend of mine es un buen amigo mío
my good friend Fernando mi buen or querido amigo Fernando
12 (middle-class, respectable)
to live at a good address vivir en una buena zona or en un buen barrio
he’s got no money but he’s of good family no tiene dinero pero es or viene de buena familia
13 (creditable)
he came in a good third llegó en un meritorio tercer puesto
14 (considerable) [+supply, number] bueno
we were kept waiting for a good hour/thirty minutes nos tuvieron esperando una hora/media hora larga; nos tuvieron esperando por lo menos una hora/media hora
we waited a good fifteen minutes
a good three hours tres horas largas; a good 10km 10kms largos; a good £10 lo menos 10 libras
a good many or few people bastante gente
15 (thorough) [+scolding] bueno
to have a good cry llorar a lágrima viva; llorar a moco tendido (informal)
to have a good laugh reírse mucho
to take a good look (at sth) mirar bien (algo)
to have a good wash lavarse bien
give it a good rinse/stir
16
the good ship Domino el (buque) Domino
his first command was the good ship Domino on the good ship, Lollipop, where the …
17 (in greetings)
good morning buenos días
good afternoon/evening buenas tardes
good night buenas noches
with every good wishwith all good wishes (in letter) saludos; un fuerte abrazo
Robert sends (his) good wishes Robert manda recuerdos
18 (in exclamations)
good! ¡muy bien!; (that’s) good! ¡qué bien!; ¡qué bueno!; (LAm) very good, sir sí, señor
good for you! ¡bien hecho!; (congratulations) ¡enhorabuena!
good [old] Mike! Mike managed to catch the post. Good old Mike
good one! (well done, well said) ¡muy bien!; ¡sí señor!
that’s a good one! some chance! a likely story!
19 (in other set expressions)
as good as
it’s as good as new está como nuevo; I’ll soon be as good as new pronto estaré como nuevo
the car has hardly been used — it’s as good as new was he hurt? — a few bruises, but in a week or two he’ll be as good as new [*/hum?]
the job is as good as done el trabajo puede darse por acabado; it’s as good as lost puede darse por perdido; they’re as good as beaten pueden darse por vencidos; as good as saying … tanto como decir …
that’s as good as saying worrying is good for you
she as good as told me so poco menos que me lo dijo; he as good as called me a liar me llamó poco menos que mentiroso
to come good
turn out well
things will come good eventually todo se arreglará al final
it’s just a matter of time before things start coming good again
good and …
good and hot bien calentito (informal); good and strong bien fuerte
the soup was served good [and] hot
I’ll do it when I’m good and ready lo haré cuando a mí me parezca
to hold good valer;for para
yesterday’s success formula is unlikely to hold good for tomorrow
the same advice holds good for us el mismo consejo vale para nosotros
it’s a good job
(it’s a) good job he came! ¡menos mal que ha venido!
to be on to a good thing he’s on to a good [thing] > pls provide info, I suspect meaning but not sure EV
adverb
1 (as intensifier) bien
a good strong stick un palo bien fuerte; a good long walk un paseo bien largo; un buen paseo
to give as good as one gets pagar con la misma moneda; devolver golpe por golpe
good and proper
they were beaten good and proper les dieron una buena paliza (informal); they were cheated good and proper les timaron bien timados (informal); les timaron con todas las de la ley (informal)
I told him off good and proper >
2 especially (US) (well) bien
you did good hiciste bien; «how are you?» — «thanks, I’m good» —¿cómo estás? —muy bien, gracias
noun
1 (virtuousness) el bien
to do good hacer (el) bien
good and evil may co-exist within one family
good and evil el bien y el mal
he is a power for good su influencia es muy buena or beneficiosa; hace mucho bien
for good or ill para bien o para mal
and, for good or ill, they decided to emigrate
there’s some good in him tiene algo bueno
to be up to no good estar tramando algo
2 (advantage, benefit) bien (m)
the common good el bien común
to the good we were £50 to the good >
if it’s any good to you si te sirve de algo
a rest will do you some good un descanso te sentará bien
the sea air does you good el aire del mar le hace or sienta a uno bien
the change has done him good a holiday/diet/rest will do you good
a (fat) lot of good that will do you! ¡menudo provecho te va a traer!
a lot of good that’s done him!
much good may it do you! ¡no creo que te sirva de mucho!; ¡para lo que te va a servir!; it does my heart good to see him verlo me alegra la existencia
for your own good por tu propio bien
for the good of the country por el bien del país
to be in good with sb estar a bien con algn
that’s all to the good! ¡menos mal!
what good will that do you? ¿y eso de qué te va a servir?
what’s the good of worrying? ¿de qué sirve or para qué preocuparse?
what’s the good of this?
3 (people of virtue) the good los buenos
the good and the bad the good die young
4 (in set expressions)
any good
is he any good? [+worker, singer etc] ¿qué tal lo hace?; ¿lo hace bien?; is this any good? ¿sirve esto?; is she any good at cooking? ¿qué tal cocina?; ¿cocina bien?
for good (and all) (for ever) para siempre
he’s gone for good se ha ido para siempre or para no volver
no good
it’s no good (no use) no sirve; it’s no good, I’ll never get it finished in time así no hay manera, nunca lo terminaré a tiempo; it’s no good saying that de nada sirve or vale decir eso; it’s no good worrying de nada sirve or vale preocuparse; no se saca nada preocupándose; that’s no good eso no vale or sirve
that’s no good, it’s too thick that won’t be much good
I’m no good at maths las matemáticas no se me dan nada bien; that’s no good to me eso no me sirve para nada; to come to no good acabar mal
modifier
the Good Book (n) (Rel) la Biblia
good faith (n) buena fe (f)
in good faith de buena fe
directors who authorised the group’s misleading prospectus had acted in good faith He said although the loans were made in good faith, he doesn’t believe the union should make direct real-estate loans unions were willing to show their good faith by re-opening negotiations the Palestinians have provided Israel with a pretext to doubt their good faith
Good Friday (n) (Rel) Viernes (m) Santo
good looks (n) atractivo (m) físico
She fell in love with his rugged good looks good looks are important but what really matters is personality
good works (n) buenas obras (f)
a adjective ( better compar) ( best superl )
When good is part of a set combination, eg in a good temper, a good deal of, good heavens, look up the noun.
The commonest translation of good is bueno, which must be shortened to buen before a masculine singular noun.
1.1 bueno
a good book un buen libro
at the end of the day, it’s a good investment a fin de cuentas es una buena inversión
Note that bueno/buena etc precede the noun in general comments where there is no attempt to compare or rank the person or thing involved:
if he set his mind to it, he could be a very good painter si se lo propusiera podría ser muy buen pintor
she was a good wife and mother era una buena esposa y madre
she has a good figure tiene buen tipo
Bueno/buena etc follow the noun when there is implied or explicit comparison:
we could make a list of good teachers podríamos hacer una lista de profesores buenos
I’m not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing no digo que sea una cosa buena, ni mala
Use ser rather than estar with bueno when translating to be good, unless describing food:
the idea is a good one la idea es buena
it’s good to be aware of the views of intelligent people es bueno conocer los puntos de vista de la gente inteligente
the paella was very good la paella estaba muy buena
Use estar with the adverb bien to give a general comment on a situation:
you’ve written a book, which is good has escrito un libro, lo que está bien
his hearing is good del oído está bien, el oído lo tiene bien
1.2 → she’s good at maths se le dan bien las matemáticas, es buena en matemáticas
she’s good at singing canta bien
she’s good at putting people at their ease tiene la capacidad de hacer que la gente se sienta relajada
→ that’s good enough for me eso me basta
it’s just not good enough! ¡esto no se puede consentir!
40% of candidates are not good enough to pass el 40% de los candidatos no dan el nivel or la talla para aprobar
→ to feel good sentirse bien
I started to feel good about myself again empecé a recuperar mi autoestima or la moral
I don’t feel very good about that *
(=I’m rather ashamed) me da bastante vergüenza
→ we’ve never had it so good! * ¡nunca nos ha ido tan bien!, ¡jamás lo hemos tenido tan fácil!
→ how good is her eyesight? ¿qué tal está de la vista?
→ you’re looking good ¡qué guapa estás!
things are looking good las cosas van bien, la cosa tiene buena pinta *
you look good in that eso te sienta or te va bien
→ you can have too much of a good thing lo mucho cansa (y lo poco agrada)
→ it’s too good to be true no puede ser, es demasiado bueno para ser cierto
he sounds too good to be true! ¡algún defecto tiene que tener!
→ she’s good with cats entiende bien a los gatos, sabe manejarse bien con los gatos
→
good →
B4
→
manner →
4.1
→
mood 2 →
A
→
time →
A5
2
(=of high quality)
always use good ingredients utilice siempre ingredientes de calidad or los mejores ingredientes
it’s made of good leather está hecho con cuero del bueno
3
(=pleasant)
[holiday, day] bueno, agradable
[weather, news] bueno
→ it was as good as a holiday aquello fue como unas vacaciones
→ have a good journey! ¡buen viaje!
→ how good it is to know that …! ¡cuánto me alegro de saber que …!
→ it’s good to see you me alegro de verte, gusto en verte (LAm)
it’s good to be here da gusto estar aquí
→ have a good trip! ¡buen viaje!
→
alive →
1
→
life →
A3
4
(=beneficial, wholesome)
[food] bueno, sano
[air] puro, sano
→ it’s good for burns es bueno para las quemaduras
it’s good for you or your health te hace bien
spirits are not good for me los licores no me sientan bien
he eats more than is good for him come más de lo que le conviene
all this excitement isn’t good for me! ¡a mí todas estas emociones no me vienen or sientan nada bien!
it’s good for the soul! hum ¡ennoblece el espíritu!, ¡te enriquece (como persona)!
if you know what’s good for you you’ll say yes por la cuenta que te tiene dirás que sí
some children know more than is good for them algunos niños son demasiado listos or saben demasiado
5
(=favourable)
[moment, chance] bueno
→ it’s a good chance to sort things out es una buena oportunidad de or para arreglar las cosas
→ I tried to find something good to say about him traté de encontrar algo bueno que decir de él
→ it would be a good thing or idea to ask him no estaría mal or no sería mala idea preguntárselo
→ this is as good a time as any to do it es tan buen momento como cualquier otro para hacerlo
6
(=useful)
the only good chair la única silla que está bien, la única silla servible or sana
→ to be good for (doing) sth servir para (hacer) algo
it’ll be good for some years durará todavía algunos años
he’s good for ten years yet tiene todavía por delante diez años de vida
John’s good for a few hundred pounds * John seguramente puede prestarnos unos cientos de libras
I’m good for another mile todavía puedo aguantar otra milla más
the ticket is good for three months el billete es válido or valedero para tres meses
he’s good for nothing es un inútil, es completamente inútil
7
(=sound, valid)
[excuse] bueno
→ unless you have a good excuse a menos que tengas una buena excusa
→ for no good reason sin motivo alguno
→ he is a good risk (financially)
concederle crédito es un riesgo asumible, se le puede prestar dinero
→
word →
A1
8
(=kind)
→ that’s very good of you es usted muy amable, ¡qué amable (de su parte)!
→ he was so good as to come with me tuvo la amabilidad de acompañarme
please would you be so good as to help me down with my case? ¿me hace el favor de bajarme la maleta?, ¿tendría la bondad de bajarme la maleta? more frm
would you be so good as to sign here? ¿me hace el favor de firmar aquí?
→ he’s a good sort es buena persona or gente
→ he was good to me fue muy bueno or amable conmigo, se portó bien conmigo
→
nature →
A2
9
(=well-behaved)
[child] bueno
be good! (morally)
¡sé bueno!, (in behaviour)
¡pórtate bien!, (at this moment)
¡estáte formal!
IDIOMS to be as good as gold * portarse como un ángel or santo
10
(=upright, virtuous) bueno
he’s a good man es una buena persona, es un buen hombre
→ I think I’m as good as him yo me considero tan buena persona como él
the twelve good men and true los doce hombres justos
→ yes, my good man sí, mi querido amigo
→ send us a photo of your good self frm tenga a bien enviarnos una foto suya
→ she’s too good for him ella es más de lo que él se merece
→
lady →
A5
11
(=close) bueno
→ he’s a good friend of mine es un buen amigo mío
my good friend Fernando mi buen or querido amigo Fernando
12
(=middle-class, respectable)
→ to live at a good address vivir en una buena zona or en un buen barrio
→ he’s got no money but he’s of good family no tiene dinero pero es or viene de buena familia
13
(=creditable)
he came in a good third llegó en un meritorio tercer puesto
14
(=considerable)
[supply, number] bueno
we were kept waiting for a good hour/thirty minutes nos tuvieron esperando una hora/media hora larga, nos tuvieron esperando por lo menos una hora/media hora
a good three hours tres horas largas
a good 10km 10kms largos
a good £10 lo menos 10 libras
→ a good many or few people bastante gente
15
(=thorough)
[scolding] bueno
→ to have a good cry llorar a lágrima viva, llorar a moco tendido *
→ to have a good laugh reírse mucho
→ to take a good look (at sth) mirar bien (algo)
→ to have a good wash lavarse bien
16 the good ship Domino el (buque) Domino
17 (in greetings)
→ good afternoon/evening buenas tardes
→ good morning buenos días
→ good night buenas noches
→ with every good wish, → with all good wishes (in letter)
saludos, un fuerte abrazo
Robert sends (his) good wishes Robert manda recuerdos
18 (in exclamations)
good! ¡muy bien!
(that’s) good! ¡qué bien!, ¡qué bueno! (LAm)
very good, sir sí, señor
→ good for YOU ! ¡bien hecho!
(=congratulations) ¡enhorabuena!
→ good one!
(=well done, well said) ¡muy bien!, ¡sí señor!
→
old →
A5, A6
19 (in other set expressions)
♦
as good as
it’s as good as new está como nuevo
I’ll soon be as good as new pronto estaré como nuevo
the job is as good as done el trabajo puede darse por acabado
it’s as good as lost puede darse por perdido
they’re as good as beaten pueden darse por vencidos
as good as saying … tanto como decir …
she as good as told me so poco menos que me lo dijo
he as good as called me a liar me llamó poco menos que mentiroso
♦
to come good
things will come good eventually * todo se arreglará al final
♦
good and …
good and hot * bien calentito *
good and strong * bien fuerte
I’ll do it when I’m good and ready * lo haré cuando a mí me parezca
♦
to hold good valer ( for para)
the same advice holds good for us el mismo consejo vale para nosotros
♦
it’s a good job
(it’s a) good job he came! * ¡menos mal que ha venido!
→
make →
A3, A10, B
→
riddance
→
thing →
A2
1 (as intensifier)
bien
a good strong stick un palo bien fuerte
a good long walk un paseo bien largo, un buen paseo
IDIOMS to give as good as one gets pagar con la misma moneda, devolver golpe por golpe
♦
good and proper
they were beaten good and proper * les dieron una buena paliza *
they were cheated good and proper * les timaron bien timados * , les timaron con todas las de la ley *
2 (esp US)
*
(=well) bien
you did good hiciste bien
«how are you?» — «thanks, I’m good» —¿cómo estás? —muy bien, gracias
1
(=virtuousness) el bien
→ to do good hacer (el) bien
→ good and evil el bien y el mal
→ he is a power for good su influencia es muy buena or beneficiosa, hace mucho bien
→ for good or ill para bien o para mal
→ there’s some good in him tiene algo bueno
→ to be up to no good * estar tramando algo
2
(=advantage, benefit) bien m
the common good el bien común
if it’s any good to you si te sirve de algo
→ a rest will do you some good un descanso te sentará bien
the sea air does you good el aire del mar le hace or sienta a uno bien
a (fat) lot of good that will do you! *, iro ¡menudo provecho te va a traer!
much good may it do you! ¡no creo que te sirva de mucho!, ¡para lo que te va a servir!
it does my heart good to see him verlo me alegra la existencia
→ for your own good por tu propio bien
for the good of the country por el bien del país
→ to be in good with sb estar a bien con algn
→ that’s all to the good! ¡menos mal!
→ what good will that do you? ¿y eso de qué te va a servir?
what’s the good of worrying? ¿de qué sirve or para qué preocuparse?
3
(=people of virtue) the good los buenos
4 (in set expressions)
♦
any good
is he any good?
[worker, singer etc] ¿qué tal lo hace?, ¿lo hace bien?
is this any good? ¿sirve esto?
is she any good at cooking? ¿qué tal cocina?, ¿cocina bien?
♦
for good (and all)
(=for ever) para siempre
he’s gone for good se ha ido para siempre or para no volver
♦
no good
it’s no good
(=no use) no sirve
it’s no good, I’ll never get it finished in time así no hay manera, nunca lo terminaré a tiempo
it’s no good saying that de nada sirve or vale decir eso
it’s no good worrying de nada sirve or vale preocuparse, no se saca nada preocupándose
that’s no good eso no vale or sirve
I’m no good at maths las matemáticas no se me dan nada bien
that’s no good to me eso no me sirve para nada
to come to no good acabar mal
d compounds
♦
the Good Book n (Rel) la Biblia
♦
good deeds npl →
good works
♦
good faith n buena fe f
in good faith de buena fe
♦
Good Friday n (Rel) Viernes m Santo
♦
good looks npl atractivo msing físico
♦
good works npl buenas obras fpl
good-for-nothing
b n inútil mf , gandul (a) m/f
good-hearted adj de buen corazón
good-humoured , good-humored (US) adj
[person] amable, de buen humor
[remark, joke] jovial
[discussion] de tono amistoso
good-humouredly , good-humoredly (US) adv
[say] de buen humor
[tease]
amistosamente
good-looker * n
(=man) tío m bueno *
(=woman) tía f buena *
(=horse etc) caballo m etc de buena estampa
good-looking adj guapo, bien parecido
good-natured adj
[person] amable, simpático
[discussion] de tono amistoso
good-naturedly adv
[complain, joke] con cordialidad
good-tempered adj
[person] amable, de buen humor
[tone] afable, amistoso
[discussion] sereno, sin pasión
good-time girl * n chica f alegre
no-good * adj (US) inútil
Translation English — Spanish Collins Dictionary 
good money
n.
1) el dinero no falso, 2) el buen sueldo
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«good«: examples and translations in context
| I think he’s an awesome worker which is really good. | Creo que es un trabajador excelente, lo cual es muy bueno. |
| His ability to see the good, regardless of the situation. | Su habilidad para ver lo bueno, a pesar de la situación. |
| Their hide is tough, but there’s good juice inside. | Su piel es dura, pero tienen buen jugo en el interior. |
| This could be a good place to watch for the superb. | Este podría ser un buen lugar para ver al ‘soberbio’. |
| But not until I’d heard all about good and evil. | Pero antes me soltó un sermón sobre el bien y el mal. |
| Can’t guarantee anything because from the polls she looks good. | No puedo garantizar nada porque en las encuestas ella se ve bien. |
good for doing [sth] adj + prep
good
a good deal n
a good deal n
a good deal of [sth] expr
a good deal adv
a good deal adv
a good deal of effort n
be in a happy place v expr
be in good odour (UK) v expr
be in good odour with [sb] (UK) v expr
bid good riddance to [sb/sth] v expr
by a good deal adv
cover a good deal of ground v expr
cover a good deal of ground v expr
do a good turn for [sb] v expr
give [sb] a good telling off v expr
healthy appetite n
good behaviour (UK) n
good behaviour (UK) n