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buena

BWEH-nahˈbwena

good

Also: fine, nice
A woman smiling and giving a thumbs-up to a perfectly baked apple pie on a kitchen counter.

📝 In Action

Es una buena doctora.

A1

She is a good doctor.

Compré una falda muy buena y barata.

A2

I bought a very good and cheap skirt.

Tiene buena memoria para los nombres.

B1

She has a good memory for names.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • una buena idea – a good idea
  • de buena calidad – of good quality
  • una buena noticia – good news

kind

Also: good-natured, well-behaved
A woman kindly helping an elderly woman with her grocery bag.

📝 In Action

Mi abuela es una persona muy buena.

A1

My grandmother is a very good/kind person.

Gracias por tu ayuda, eres muy buena.

A2

Thanks for your help, you are very kind.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • amable (kind, friendly)
  • bondadosa (kind-hearted)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • una buena persona – a good person
  • ser de buena familia – to be from a good family

tasty

Also: delicious, good
A woman smiling with her eyes closed in delight as she tastes a spoonful of soup.

📝 In Action

¡La sopa está muy buena!

A2

The soup is very good/tasty!

Esta tarta de manzana está buenísima.

B1

This apple pie is delicious.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • mala (bad)
  • insípida (tasteless)

hello

Also: hi, good day / afternoon / evening
fA1informal
Two women greeting each other warmly on a sunny street, one saying 'Buenas'.

📝 In Action

¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal todo?

A1

Hi! How's everything?

Buenas noches, que duermas bien.

A1

Good night, sleep well.

Buenas tardes, ¿en qué puedo ayudarla?

A2

Good afternoon, how can I help you?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • adiós (goodbye)

Common Collocations

  • buenas tardes – good afternoon
  • buenas noches – good evening / good night
  • dar las buenas noches – to say goodnight

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "buena" in Spanish:

delicious→fine→good-natured→hi→well-behaved→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: buena

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'buena' to describe how food tastes?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
truenasuenacena
📚 Etymology▼

'Buena' comes from the Latin word 'bonus', which meant 'good'. Over time, it developed masculine ('bueno') and feminine ('buena') forms in Spanish to agree with the words it describes.

First recorded: Before the 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: boaItalian: buonaFrench: bonne

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does it sometimes end in '-o' (bueno) and sometimes in '-a' (buena)?

In Spanish, words have a gender. 'Buena' is used to describe feminine words (like 'la casa' or 'la chica'), and 'bueno' is for masculine words (like 'el libro' or 'el chico'). The adjective has to match!

What's the difference between 'ser buena' and 'estar buena'?

'Ser buena' usually describes a person's character (she *is* a kind person). 'Estar buena' describes a temporary state, like how food tastes (the soup *is* tasty) or someone's health (she *is* well). Be careful, because in many places, 'estar buena' is also informal slang for saying a woman is physically attractive.