ben
“ben” means “Ben” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
Ben
📝 In Action
Mi amigo se llama Ben.
A1My friend's name is Ben.
Ben es de Inglaterra.
A1Ben is from England.
well
📝 In Action
Ben lo decía el sabio: 'conócete a ti mismo'.
C2The wise man said it well: 'know thyself'.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ben
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence is correct in modern, everyday Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'ben' has two different origins depending on its meaning. As a name, it comes from the Hebrew name 'Binyamin', meaning 'son of the right hand'. As the old-fashioned adverb for 'well', it comes from the Latin word 'bene', which is also the source of the modern Spanish word 'bien'.
First recorded: 10th century (as 'bene')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
I heard someone say something that sounded like 'ben'. What did they mean?
You most likely heard 'ven', which means 'Come here!' (a command from the verb 'venir'). It's also possible you heard 'bien', which means 'well' or 'good'. The word 'ben' itself is almost never used in modern Spanish, except as a name.