How to Say Good in Spanish: 6 Basic Words

Bueno (good) is a very useful word and it can be applied to many different contexts. However, depending on what you want to say, there are terms you can use for this purpose. So, if you’re wondering how to say good in Spanish, in this article, you’ll find 6 basic words.  

Since these words can either work as adjectives or nouns, I’ll give you some examples of how to use each one of these options and useful tips for these terms. 

Take Note: None of the words you’re about to learn are used to say goodbye. There are other formal and informal expressions we use as a way of saying goodbye in Spanish

1. Bien – Well

graphic showing how to use bien in spanish with examples

Bien is an adverb that helps you intensify how well someone does something. However, when talking about a person’s benefit, this word works as a noun. Depending on the sentence, this word means: 

  • Good
  • Okay
  • Well 
  • Right 

Here are some examples with these meanings: 

No me siento bien.
I don’t feel well.

Tu amiga canta muy bien.
Your friend sings very well.

Lo que hiciste no estuvo bien.
What you did was not okay.

Te lo digo por tu bien.
I’m telling you for your own good.

Take Note: When this word is used to qualify how well someone does something, you can use Spanish adverbs to intensify your sentence.

2. Bueno – Good

graphic showing how to use bueno in spanish with examples

The word bueno is the most common way to say good. This Spanish adjective allows you to describe someone’s personality, refer to something’s quality or express that someone is good at certain activities. 

Notice that you can add ‘muy’ before ‘bueno’ and also intensify or exaggerate your sentence by adding ‘ísimo’ or ‘ísima’ to ‘buen’.

Bueno + (noun)

Eres una buena amiga.
You are a good friend.

¡Qué bueno que no le dijiste!
Good thing that you didn’t tell him! 

¡Buena suerte a todos!
Good luck everyone! 

Luisa es muy buena maestra.
Luisa is a very good teacher.

Fernando es muy buen papá.
Fernando is a very good dad. 

Take Note: The rules for adjective placement in Spanish establish that words like bueno can be placed before the noun when we’re listing something’s qualities as a personal appraisal. Notice that with singular masculine words, you must use the short form buen.

Este chocolate está bueno.
This chocolate is good.

Estas enchiladas no están tan buenas como las de mi abuela.
These enchiladas are not as good as my grandmother’s.

Take note: The plural form buenos can be used in greetings, such as ‘buenos días’, ‘buenas tardes’ and ‘buenas noches’. 

3. Válido – Valid

graphic showing how to use the word valido in spanish

As you can imagine, válido is the direct translation of ‘valid’ or ‘good’. Therefore, we usually apply this word when talking about things like documents, promos, tickets, IDs, etc.

[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

graphic showing how to use rico as a synonym of good in spanish

Although you can also use ‘bueno’ in this context, rico is an informal term to describe food. This adjective can be translated as ‘delicious’, ‘good’ or ‘tasty’. 

Qué + rico/a + (‘estar’ conjugated’) + [noun]

Qué ricos tacos, ¿quién los hizo?
These tacos are delicious, who cooked them?

Qué rica estaba la cena.
Dinner was delicious.

Qué ricos postres venden en este restaurante.
The desserts they sell in this restaurant are delicious.

Here is another way you can use this word. 

[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 qualify or describe people, rico means ‘rich’. 

5. Apropiado – Appropriate / Good

graphic showing how to use the word apropiado in spanish

In Spanish, apropiado expresses that something is suitable for some specific circumstances or the goal you want to achieve. As a result, this word can be translated as ‘appropriate’,  ‘good’, ‘best’ or ‘suitable’. 

Keep in mind that this Spanish word for good is a little bit formal:

[Noun] + [‘ser’ conjugated] + apropiado/a

¿Este vestido es apropiado para una cita?
Is this dress appropriate for a date?

La manera en la que te comportaste no fue la más apropiada.
The way you behaved was not the best.

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.

Take Note: Adjectives in Spanish mark the number, and sometimes, the gender of the noun they describe. 

6. Producto – Product / Goods

graphic showing how to use the word producto in spanish

Producto is the noun we use to refer to ‘products’ or ‘goods’. As a result, this word is usually applied in ads or retail stores. Here are some examples: 

[Determiner] + producto + [complement]

Los productos que venden en esa tienda son de alta calidad.
The goods they sell in that store are of high quality.

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.

Additional Resources to Learn Spanish

Now that you know that there are more ways to say good in Spanish than ‘bueno’, you should make sure you understand the differences between bien and bueno since they’re often confused. 

Also, take a moment to understand how Spanish adjectives work. Get familiar with their placement rules and the concept of adjective agreement. Finally, add some basic adjectives to your vocabulary, so you can create richer sentences. 

Download the Spanish Words to Say ‘Good’ PDF

Feel free to download a PDF copy with all the graphics from this article for the different ways to say good in Spanish, including the phrase structures and example sentences so you can see how to apply each word correctly in your conversations.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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