El gato es bueno.

the cat

Breakdown of El gato es bueno.

• ser: to be
• bueno: good

Questions & Answers about El gato es bueno.

Why is the article El used instead of La?

In Spanish, gato is a masculine noun. Because it’s masculine, you use the masculine definite article El. If you wanted to refer to a female cat, you would say La gata.

What is the difference between es and está in Spanish?

Es (from the verb ser) usually refers to permanent or inherent characteristics of a person or thing. Está (from the verb estar) is often used for temporary states or locations. In this sentence, El gato es bueno, you’re describing the cat’s general or inherent quality (being “good”).

Why do we say bueno and not buena?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. Since gato is masculine, it needs a masculine adjective: bueno. If you were talking about a feminine noun, such as gata, you would say buena.

Can you use bien here instead of bueno?

No. Bien is an adverb, meaning “well,” used to describe how actions are performed or the state of something. Bueno is an adjective, meaning “good,” which describes the noun (the cat). So it wouldn’t make sense to say El gato es bien in Spanish; you need the adjective bueno.

Does the adjective bueno change if the noun is plural?

Yes. For plural masculine nouns, bueno becomes buenos. For example:
• Los gatos son buenos (“The cats are good.”)
If it were feminine plural, it would be buenas (e.g., Las gatas son buenas).