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bienes

/bee-EH-ness/

goods

A colorful illustration showing a stack of various household goods, including a red book, a yellow teapot, a blue baseball bat, and a small green toy box.

When used generally, 'bienes' refers to possessions or goods.

bienes(noun)

mB1

goods

?

general possessions or items

,

assets

?

financial or economic value

Also:

possessions

?

personal belongings

,

property

?

things that are owned

📝 In Action

Todos sus bienes fueron repartidos entre sus hijos.

B1

All his goods (assets) were divided among his children.

La empresa debe declarar sus bienes anualmente.

B2

The company must declare its assets annually.

Solo llevaba unos pocos bienes personales en la maleta.

B1

He only carried a few personal possessions in the suitcase.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • bienes de consumo – consumer goods
  • declaración de bienes – declaration of assets

💡 Grammar Points

Always Plural for 'Assets'

Even though the singular 'bien' means 'goodness' or 'well,' when you talk about physical or financial assets, you almost always use the plural form, 'bienes'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Bien and Bienes

Mistake: "Using 'tengo mucho bien' to mean 'I have a lot of stuff.'"

Correction: Use 'tengo muchos bienes' or 'tengo muchas cosas.' 'Bien' usually means 'well' (adverb) or 'the good' (abstract concept).

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'Bienes' in Business

If you are talking about products sold to customers, 'bienes' is the correct term (e.g., 'bienes y servicios' = goods and services).

An illustration of a simple single-family house with a red roof, situated on a green plot of land, representing real estate property.

'Bienes' is used to mean real estate or property when combined with words like 'raíces' or 'inmuebles'.

bienes(noun)

mC1

real estate

?

when paired with 'raíces' or 'inmuebles'

,

estate

?

legal term for total property

Also:

chattels

?

legal term for movable property

📝 In Action

La venta de bienes raíces es un proceso complejo.

C1

The sale of real estate is a complex process.

Los bienes inmuebles incluyen casas y terrenos.

C2

Immovable property (real estate) includes houses and land.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • patrimonio (heritage, estate)

Common Collocations

  • bienes raíces – real estate (literally: rooted goods)
  • bienes inmuebles – immovable property (land, buildings)
  • bienes muebles – movable property (furniture, cars)

💡 Grammar Points

Specific Types of Property

When talking about land or buildings, Spanish often uses 'bienes' with a descriptive adjective like 'raíces' (real estate) or 'inmuebles' (immovable goods).

⭐ Usage Tips

Formal Contexts

Save this definition of 'bienes' for official documents, news reports on the economy, or legal discussions.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: bienes

Question 1 of 1

Which phrase correctly uses 'bienes' to talk about owning a house?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'bienes' and 'cosas'?

'Cosas' means 'things' and is very general. 'Bienes' specifically refers to 'things of value'—possessions, assets, or property—and is usually used in a more formal or economic context.

Why is 'bienes' masculine, even though it ends in -es?

'Bienes' is the plural of 'bien' (the noun, meaning 'asset' or 'good thing'), which is a masculine word. Therefore, the plural form remains masculine.