bien

Bien is a French word with several related usages. Its primary function is as an adverb meaning “well,” “properly,” or “in a satisfactory way,” as in Elle parle bien (She speaks well) or Il va bien (He is doing well). Bien can also serve as an intensifier before adjectives or past participles in everyday speech, for example C’est bien fait (That’s well done) or Il est bien content (He is quite happy).

In addition to its adverbial use, bien exists as a noun meaning “goods,” “property,” or “benefit,” especially in legal or formal contexts. The plural biens appears in phrases like biens et services (goods and services) or le bien commun (the common good). In philosophy and ethics, le bien contrasts with le mal (the evil).

Etymology and cognates: bien stems from Old French and ultimately from Latin bene, meaning “well.” It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as bien in Spanish, bene in Italian, and bem/bem in some Portuguese contexts. The related English loanword bene appears in fixed expressions like bene facere.

Common expressions and notes: bien est souvent employed in phrases such as bien sûr (of course), bien évidemment (of course, obviously), and bien que, a conjunction meaning “although,” which governs the subjunctive. The word is invariable; it does not change for gender or number. In negation, standard negation forms apply, as in Il ne parle pas bien.

Translations vary by context, but bien is most commonly rendered as “well” or “good,” with extended senses including “properly,” “quite,” or “indeed” in idiomatic usage.