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"El bien" is a form of "bien", an adverb which is often translated as "well". "Lo bueno" is a phrase which is often translated as "the good thing". Learn more about the difference between "el bien" and "lo bueno" below.
bien, el bien(
byehn
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
2. (properly)
a. well
Si la carne molida no se cocina bien, las bacterias no mueren.If the ground meat is not cooked well, the bacteria don't die.
3. (all right)
4. (extremely)
a. very
Me di un paseo bien largo para despejar mi mente.I went for a very long walk to clear my mind.
a. well
Cuando viajé a España, me comentaban que sabía hablar bien el español.When I traveled to Spain, people told me I could speak Spanish well.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Se hace el tonto pero bien sabía que no nos había pagado.He's pretending he didn't, but he knew full well he hadn't paid us.
Bien podías habérselo dicho.You really could have told him.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
8. (benefit)
a. good
Está dispuesto a sacrificar su vida por el bien de la nación.He is willing to sacrifice his own life for the good of the nation.
9. (possession)
A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (e.g., The cat and the dog slept.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Bien nos vamos, bien no, pero hay que decidirlo ya.We either go or we don't, but we need to decide.
Tenemos que mudarnos, bien este año, bien el que viene.We have to move, whether it's this year or next.
lo bueno(
loh
bweh
-
noh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. the good thing
Trabajar en casa tiene sus pros y sus contras. Lo bueno es que puedes tener tu propio horario.Working at home has its pros and cons. The good thing is that you can have your own schedule.
a. the funny thing
Me acusó de haberle quitado la bicicleta, pero lo bueno es que yo ni siquiera sé montar en bici.She accused me of stealing her bike, but the funny thing is that I can't even ride a bike.
