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"Muy bien" is an interjection which is often translated as "very good", and "bien" is an adverb which is often translated as "well". Learn more about the difference between "muy bien" and "bien" below.
muy bien(
mwee
byehn
)An interjection is a short utterance that expresses emotion, hesitation, or protest (e.g., Wow!).
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. alright then
Ya empieza a oscurecer, así que me voy a casa. - Muy bien. Nos vemos mañana.It's getting dark already, so I'm off home. - Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow.
b. very well (old-fashioned)
A word or phrase that is seldom used in contemporary language and is recognized as being from another decade, (e.g., cat, groovy).
No nos queda tiempo hoy. - Muy bien; lo dejamos para mañana.We don't have enough time left today. - Very well; we'll leave it for tomorrow.
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.
