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"Gracias a Dios" is a phrase which is often translated as "thank goodness", and "bien" is an adverb which is often translated as "well". Learn more about the difference between "gracias a Dios" and "bien" below.
gracias a Dios(
grah
-
syahs
ah
dyohs
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (general)
a. thank goodness
Lo ingresamos por urgencias con un dolor en el pecho, pero gracias a Dios todo quedó en un susto.We took him to the emergency room with a pain in his chest, but thank goodness it was only a scare.
b. thank heavens
Acaban de llamar y están bien; solo habían tenido una avería. - ¡Gracias a Dios!They just called and they're ok. Their car just broke down. - Thank heavens!
c. thank heaven
Perdí el trabajo, pero gracias a Dios tenía unos ahorros.I lost my job, but thank heaven I had some savings.
d. thank God
Gracias a Dios que te encuentro. La jefa lleva un rato llamándote.Thank God I've found you. The boss has been calling you for a while.
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.
