Common Mistakes

Why Eu Estou Bom Is Not Always Polite

5 min readBy Adriely Góis

Olá! Vamos conversar. Translating I am fine literally into eu estou bom is grammatically correct and socially imperfect. There is a safer, friendlier alternative.

The issue

Estou bem is the standard polite reply to tudo bem. Eu estou bom can sound like you are describing yourself as a good catch, depending on context and tone.

The clean answer

Tudo bem, e você. Tudo ótimo, obrigado. Estou bem, obrigada. Use the bem version unless you are joking with friends.

Vocabulário · Take this with you

Tudo bem?All good?
Tudo, e você?All good, and you?

Let's practice together

AdrielyTudo bem?All good?

VocêTudo, e você?All good, and you?

Adriely, sua professora brasileira. Te vejo na próxima aula.

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