B2 · Fine points and style
Filler words: pues, bueno, vale
pues, bueno, vale, ya — your «well», «right», «OK», «look».
At a glance
- Remember
- Without these words every sentence is correct and none of them sounds spoken.
- Form
- Pues no sé qué decirte.opening an answer
- Signal words
- pues
- bueno
- vale
- venga
- hombre
- ya
- a ver
- oye
- Trap
- Wrong:Sí, estoy de acuerdo con esta propuesta.Right:¡Vale, vamos!
Your turn
5 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
Now write it yourself3 sentences on this topic, typed and checked instantly.
The form
The patterns at a glance
Each row first says when or what the pattern is used for, then gives an example in Spanish.
negation
| opening an answer | Pues no sé qué decirte. |
| half agreeing | Bueno, puede ser. |
| agreeing | Vale, quedamos a las ocho. |
| chivvying, parting | ¡Venga, vamos! / Venga, hasta luego. |
| surprise | ¡Hombre, qué sorpresa! |
| already, at last | Ya voy. / Ya lo sé. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
pues opens an answer.
Pues no me parece buena idea.Well, I do not think that is a good idea.
vale is the everyday «OK».
¿Nos vemos a las seis? — Vale.See you at six? — OK.
hombre and mujer are tone words, not address.
¡Hombre, no me digas!Well, you do surprise me!
ya means already, now or at last, depending on the sentence.
Ya está listo.It is ready now.
Example sentences
Bueno, es que no tengo tiempo.Well, the thing is I have no time.
Venga, que llegamos tarde.Come on, we are going to be late.
A ver, explícamelo otra vez.Right, explain it to me again.
Ya no vive aquí.He does not live here any more.
6 more example sentences
Pues yo creo que sí.Well, I think so.
Bueno, vale, lo haré.All right then, I will do it.
¡Venga ya, no me lo creo!Oh come on, I do not believe it!
A ver si nos vemos pronto.Let us see if we meet up soon.
Ya te lo dije ayer.I told you yesterday.
Oye, ¿tienes un momento?Listen, have you got a minute?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
These words get left out, because they do not appear in textbooks and translate as filler. The sentence is then correct and sounds read aloud. The other half of the warning: vale is everywhere in Spain and hardly used in Latin America, where the same job goes to bueno, listo or dale.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
English opens half its sentences with a word that means nothing on its own: «well», «right», «so», «look», «I mean». Spanish has the same set and uses it just as heavily: pues, bueno, vale, hombre, ya, venga, a ver.
pues opens an answer and buys a second of thought — «well…». bueno introduces a reservation or half agrees, like «well, I suppose». vale is «OK» and is the commonest word of agreement in Spain. venga chivvies somebody along or ends a conversation: «come on then», «right, see you».
hombre and mujer are not forms of address. They are tone words, and ¡Hombre, claro! — «well, obviously» — is said to women as readily as to men. ya is the most versatile of the lot: already, now, at last, and «I get it».
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The verbs on this page, in every form: ver · ser · tener · llegar · decir · venir · vivir · parecer