buen

good

adjective bwehn Common

Origin: Apocopated form of bueno, from Latin bonus.

Usage Note

Buen is the apocopated form of bueno used ONLY before masculine singular nouns: un buen libro (a good book). Before a feminine noun, the full buena is always required: una buena idea. After the noun or after ser/estar, use the full form: el libro es bueno. The apocope is obligatory before the noun, not optional — saying un bueno libro is an error. The same rule applies to mal (from malo).

Examples

"Tiene un buen sentido del humor."

Natural Translation

He has a good sense of humour.

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