Bueno is one of the first adjectives that many people learn when studying Spanish. And no wonder — it can refer to almost anything that can be described as "good," sometimes having specific meanings such as "personable," "kind" and "suitable."

However, bueno can also be used as an interjection, often in the way the words such as "good," "well" and "OK" can be used in English. In some areas, native speakers use it frequently, while in other areas bueno is less commonly used except as an adjective.

Here are some of the ways in which bueno can function as an interjection:

To indicate agreement or assent: Some examples:

• "¿Quisieras una taza de café?" "Bueno." "Would you like a cup of coffee?" "OK."
• "Vamos a estudiar en la biblioteca." "Bueno." "We're going to study in the library." "Sure."

To indicate sufficiency: For example, if someone is pouring you a drink, you could say "bueno" to indicate that you've received enough. ("Basta" is another possibility.) We might express the same concept in English as "That's good."

To somewhat downplay the importance of what has been said or what will be said: Translation can vary considerably depending on context. When bueno is used in this way, it can be a type of filler word.

• Bueno, lo que pasó, pasó. OK then, what happened, happened.
• Bueno, de todas formas veré qué pasa unas cuantas veces más. Well, in any case I'll see what happens a few more times.
• Bueno, puede que sí o puede que no. Yeah, maybe or maybe not.

In answering a telephone: This use of bueno when answering the phone is extremely common in Mexico.

Other greetings are used in most other countries.