The fact is that many Spanish beginners get confused when using bien and bueno. In this lesson, we will learn how to differentiate bueno from bien so that you can use these two words correctly.
Bueno vs Bien - How and when to use?
Bien is an adverb. It can be translated as "well" in English. So as an adverb, "bien" will be referred to the verb, the action of the sentence. It describes how someone does something.
For example:
No he dormido bien - I didn’t sleep well
Toco la guitarra muy bien - I play the guitar very well
Lo hiciste bien - You did it well
Bueno is an adjective. It means "good". And as a general rule, it modifies a noun.
Bueno, buena, and buen?
Bueno is masculine while buena is feminine. Buen is a short form of bueno. It goes before the noun in masculine singular.
Note:
Bueno must match witch the noun that it refers to in both gender and number.
For example:
El viaje fue bueno - The trip was good
Fue un buen viaje - It was a good trip
La película buena - The good film
Buena comida, buenas noches, buenas vista - Good food, good night, good views
When to use "bueno" or "bien" with "ser" and "estar"?
"Ser" is often used to describes a permanent condition of something while "estar" is used to talk about something that is only temporary.
For example:
Yo estoy bien - I am well/fine/ok
Yo soy bueno - I am a good person
Ramón es bueno - Ramón is a good guy
El desayuno está bueno - Breakfast is good today
See also: Muy vs mucho
Watch the video below for further guide and instruction