OK in Spanish: 18 unique expressions, from Ándale to Vale

Learning a language is like opening a box of surprises, where even the simplest words can unfold into a variety of expressions. Today, we’re diving into the world of saying OK in Spanish, with 18 different ways to express approval, confirmation, agreement, or acceptance, each with its own nuance and formality.

So get ready to join us as we explore how to say OK in Spanish. We’ll start off with the standard options, and then move on to regional expressions for OK in Spanish slang. By the end, not only will your lexicon be enriched, but your communication skills will have taken a significant stride forward!

Standard expressions for OK in Spanish

There are plenty of ways to say OK in Spanish, so we’ll begin with the most standard ones. These expressions may vary in formality, but they are usually acceptable in both formal and informal contexts.

OK, OC, Okey, Ocá

OK, Okay

The easiest way to say OK in Spanish is, well, OK! Yes, we say the exact same thing, but since it’s usually a spoken expression the spellings sometimes differ when different people write it out.

It’s common enough to just write the same two letters that you use in English, as OK. However, sometimes Spanish speakers write OC rather than follow the English OK, since this is closer to our phonetics.

When we write out the word in full, we trade the “a” for an “e” in order to respect our Spanish pronunciation rules, as okey. It’s also common enough to see the expression written as ocá, reflecting the Spanish pronunciation.

• Oye, Luis, ¿me acompañas al supermercado? / OK. – Hey, Luis, would you go to the supermarket with me? – OK.

• Papá, ¿me llevas a la escuela? Perdí el autobús. / OK, te espero en el auto. – Dad, would you take me to school? I missed the bus. / OK, I’ll wait for you in the car.

Sí

Yes

You probably already know that sí means yes in Spanish. Because this term can indicate approval, confirmation, or acceptance, in many contexts it’s used the same way as OK.

• Ayúdame a llevar esa caja al garaje, por favor. / Sí, enseguida. – Help me carry that box to the garage, please. / Yes, right away.

• ¿Te provoca ir a tomarnos unas cervezas? / Sí, vamos. – Do you feel like going for a beer? / Yes, let’s go.

Está bien

It’s OK, Alright

Está bien stands out as one of the most prevalent ways to convey agreement in Spanish. Está is the conjugation of the verb estar, so its translation is simply it is or it’s, while bien is an adverb meaning fine or well.

The translation of está bien, along the lines of it’s fine, it’s okay, or even it’s all good, encapsulates its versatile use to express approval, confirmation, or acceptance. Moreover, in some scenarios, it serves as a response to apologies, akin to expressing no worries or no problem in Spanish.

• Lava los platos y limpia la mesa cuando termines de comer. / Está bien, mamá. – Do the dishes and wipe the table when you finish eating. / Okay, Mom.

• ¿Cenamos afuera hoy? / Está bien, tampoco tengo ganas de cocinar. – How about dinner out today? / Alright, I don’t feel like cooking either.

• No aceptamos tarjetas de crédito, lo siento. / Está bien, puedo pagar con efectivo. – We don’t take credit cards, sorry. / That’s okay, I can pay with cash.

Tranquilo, Tranquila

It’s OK, Don’t worry

Tranquilo in Spanish is an adjective that translates literally as calm or relaxed. It’s often used informally to convey reassurance, as a simple way to tell someone it’s ok or don’t worry in Spanish.

Since tranquilo is a Spanish adjective, it needs to respect the gender and number of the person we’re referring to. So, when telling people if they need to chill out, use tranquilo for males and tranquila for females. And when addressing more than one person, tranquilos is used for male and mixed groups, and tranquilas for all female groups.

• Olvidé el maletín en la casa. / Tranquilo, Jorge, pasaré por él después. – I forgot my briefcase at home. / Don’t worry, Jorge, I’ll pick it up later.

• ¿Podríamos posponer la reunión? No me siento muy bien. / Tranquila, Claudia, podemos dejarla para mañana. – Could we postpone the meeting? I’m not feeling very well. / It’s OK, Claudia, we can reschedule for tomorrow.

• Parece que no podremos reparar el aire acondicionado hoy. No encontramos la falla. / Tranquilos, pueden volver mañana. – It looks like we won’t be able to repair the air conditioner today. We can’t find the defect. / Don’t worry, you can come back tomorrow.

• Somos tus amigas, jamás se nos olvidaría tu cumpleaños. / Tranquilas, chicas, sé que puedo contar con ustedes. – We are your friends, we would never forget your birthday. / It’s OK, girls, I know I can count on you.

Bueno

Alright, Fine, OK

Bueno is an adjective that translates to good. Informally, it’s used to express agreement or acknowledgment, similar to saying alright or OK. Bueno is also just a good filler word to start a sentence after a pause in conversation, similar to alright then or right.

Note that in other contexts, bueno is used with nouns as an adjective, so in those cases it can also have feminine and plural forms as buena, buenos, and buenas. When used to express OK in Spanish, however, we always just use the base form of bueno.

• Si quieres, yo me encargo de hacer el pastel. / Bueno. Yo me encargo de los ponquecitos. – If you prefer, I’ll take care of the cake. / Good. Then I’ll take care of the cupcakes.

• Necesito todo tu apoyo con este proyecto. / Bueno, solo dime qué necesitas. – I need all your support with this project. / Alright, just tell me what you need.

• Mejor vamos al cine a las 6PM, no quiero estar en la calle muy tarde. / Bueno, te veo allá. – It’s better if we go to the movies at 6PM, I don’t want to be out in the street too late. / Okay, I’ll see you there.

De acuerdo

Alright, OK

Equivalent to agreed or alright, de acuerdo is a formal yet very common way to express agreement or consent.

• ¿Estás de acuerdo con lo que dijo Mariana sobre tu informe? – Do you agree with what Mariana said about your report?

• Buenas tardes, Pablo. Por favor, actualiza los datos de los clientes. / De acuerdo, jefe. Estará listo para la tarde. – Good afternoon, Pablo. Please update the client data. / Okay, boss. It will be ready for the afternoon.

• Voy a hacerte unos exámenes para descartar cualquier patología, ¿de acuerdo? / De acuerdo. Gracias, doctor. – I’m going to run some tests to rule out any pathology, okay? / Okay. Thank you, doctor.

Claro

Of course

Although the most common translation of claro in Spanish is clear, when used this way its meaning is closer to of course in English. In this sense, claro is used to express approval, confirmation, or acceptance, just like yes or sure. Since it’s acting as an adverb here, we don’t need to change the form of claro to reflect any gender or number.

• ¿Podrías pasar por tu hermana a la escuela hoy? / Claro, pasaré por ella después del trabajo. – Could you pick up your sister at school today? / Sure, I’ll pick her up after work.

• Vamos por un helado más tarde, ¿quieres? / Claro, ¿a qué hora? – Let’s get some ice cream later, shall we? / Sure, what time?

Vale

OK, Alright

Vale is frequently used in Spain, while it’s sometimes heard in Latin America as well. Vale is a versatile term that conveys agreement or acknowledgment, so it’s an easy response when we want to just say alright or OK in Spanish.

• Linda, llama a tu abuela y dile que llegaremos un poco tarde. / Vale, mamá. – Linda, call your grandmother and tell her we’ll be a little late. / Okay, Mom.

• Debo irme, te llamo más tarde. / Vale, llámame después del trabajo. – I have to go, I’ll call you later. / Alright, call me after work.

• Estoy aburrida, ¿vamos al karaoke? / Vale, ¿le digo a Jimena? – I’m bored, shall we go to karaoke? / Okay, should I invite Jimena?

Va

OK, Alright

Va is short for vale that we just saw above, so it’s an even more casual way to say okay or alright. It’s only really used orally in informal settings, like where you might respond with just K or ‘kay in English.

• Miguelito, ven a mi casa después de la escuela a jugar video juegos. / Va, déjame pedirle permiso a mi mamá. – Miguelito, come to my house after school to play video games. / Okay, let me ask my mom if I can go.

• ¿Y si le hacemos un disfraz de león al gato? / ¡Va, yo lo hago! – What if we make a lion costume for the cat? / Okay, I’ll do it!

Seguro

Sure

Seguro translates literally as sure. It’s a fairly informal way to express agreement, assurance, or confirmation. Since it’s acting as an adverb here to express agreement, we never change the ending of seguro to reflect gender or number.

• ¿Crees que puedas encargarte de la pizzería mientras no estoy? / Seguro, no te preocupes. – Do you think you can take care of the pizzeria while I’m gone? / Sure, don’t worry.

• ¿Me acompañas a hacer diligencias? / Seguro, vamos. – Will you come with me to run errands? / Sure, let’s go.

Perfecto

Perfect

Perfecto is the literal translation of perfect in Spanish. We often say perfecto to convey agreement or confirmation, implying that everything is in order. Perfecto is frequently used in more formal contexts, and is often associated with the older generations these days.

• El paquete llegará mañana a primera hora. / Perfecto, lo estaremos esperando. – The package will arrive first thing tomorrow morning. / Perfect, we’ll be waiting for it.

• Nos tomamos la libertad de cambiar el formato por uno más sencillo. / Perfecto, Juan. Ya lo reviso. – We took the liberty of changing the format to a simpler one. / Perfect, Juan. I’ll check it out.

Additional terms for OK in Spanish slang

Now it’s time to loosen up a bit and explore some ways to say OK in Spanish slang. Just remember, these slang terms are delightfully informal, so it’s always good to know your audience before unleashing them into the conversation!

Chévere

Good, Cool

This expression is super common in some Latin American countries, especially in the Caribbean. Because of this, we’ve actually already introduced chévere in a few of our other posts, including the one on Venezuelan expressions and another one listing Venezuelan slang.

Chévere is often just translated as cool in English. When used as a synonym of OK in Spanish, it expresses approval or agreement.

• Mamá, voy a casa de Julia un rato. / Chévere, dile a tu papá que te lleve. – Mom, I’m going to Julia’s for a while. / OK, tell your dad to drive you.

• Para usar la máquina, solo tienes que conectarla y luego presionar este botón. / Chévere, gracias por tu ayuda. – To use the machine, just plug it in and then press this button. / Cool, thanks for your help.

Oki doki

Okey dokey

This onomatopoetic phrase is easy, as it has a clear English equivalent. Whereas there are actually several possible English spellings for this phonetic expression, in Spanish we always write it as oki doki, or else with the same spelling in one word as okidoki. It’s an informal and lighthearted way to say OK in Spanish, mostly used among young people. It’s particularly common online and in text messages.

• Lorena, si recoges tus juguetes, podemos ir al parque. / ¡Oki doki! – Lorena, if you pick up your toys, we can go to the park. / Okey dokey!

• Lávate las manos antes de sentarte a comer. / Oki doki. – Wash your hands before you sit down to eat / Okey dokey.

Simón

Yes

Simón stands out as a popular Mexican slang term, especially embraced by the younger crowd. It’s a laid-back and emphatic way to express agreement, essentially functioning as a casual yes or yeah.

While Simón is technically a name, its usage in this context is a playful elaboration on its first syllable, building on the Spanish word for yes: sí.

• ¿Vamos a la fiesta de Daniela? / Simón, ya compré mi vestido. – Are we going to Daniela’s party? / Yes, I already bought my dress.

• Ayúdame a limpiar un poco la sala, por favor. / Simón, ya te ayudo. – Help me clean up the living room, please. / Yeah yeah, I’ll help you.

Ándale

Alright, OK

Ándale is a versatile expression in Mexican Spanish, usually understood as meaning come on or let’s go. Mexican people also commonly use ándale to express agreement, as an equivalent to OK in Spanish.

• El sábado iremos a acampar, por si quieres ir. / ¡Ándale! ¿A dónde van a acampar? – Saturday we’ll go camping, if you want to go. / Alright! Where are you headed?

• Tengo mucho sueño, ¿podemos seguir hablando mañana? / Ándale, descansa. – I’m very sleepy, can we continue talking tomorrow? / OK go on, get some rest.

Órale

Alright, OK

Just like we saw above with ándale, this Mexican expression is used to express agreement.

We’ve actually already introduced this term in our post on Mexican slang. There we see that órale is not only a synonym for OK in Spanish, but can also be used simply to express affirmative enthusiasm along the lines of wow! or oh yeah!.

• ¿Y si comemos tacos para la cena? / Órale, yo los preparo. La receta de mi mamá es la mejor. – How about tacos for dinner / Oh yeah, I’ll make them. My mom’s recipe is the best.

• ¿Podemos ir más temprano al evento mañana? Aún tengo que arreglar algunos detalles. / Órale, yo te llevo. – Can we go earlier to the event tomorrow? I still have some details to work out. / OK, I’ll take you.

Venga

Alright, Let’s do it

Venga is commonly used in Spain. This expression is used informally to express agreement with a proposal, similar to saying let’s go or let’s do it.

• ¿Quieres jugar fútbol con mis amigos? / Venga, vamos a jugar. – Do you want to play soccer with my friends? / Come on, let’s play.

• Veamos una película de terror. / Venga, ¿cuál quieres ver? – Let’s watch a horror movie. / Come on, which one do you want to watch?

Listo

Alright

The literal translation of listo in Spanish is ready. It’s a common response in informal settings to convey approval, confirmation, or acceptance, along the lines of OK or alright in Spanish.

• Tengo que irme a trabajar, ¿me ayudas con el almuerzo de los niños? / Listo, yo me encargo. Ve tranquila. – I have to go to work, can you help me with lunch for the kids? / I got it, I’ll take care of it. You go ahead.

• Mamá, para mañana debo llevar postres para la reunión de los niños. / Listo, yo te ayudo a hacerlos. – Mom, for tomorrow I have to bring desserts for the children’s meeting. / Ready, I’ll help you make them.

Conclusion

Bueno! Our exploration into saying OK in Spanish has come to an end. Before we go, let’s just do a quick recap of what we’ve covered today.

First we started with 11 standard ways to say OK in Spanish, each with their own nuances and contexts. With these basic terms, you’re equipped to state your agreement in any formal and informal setting in Spanish.

Then we covered an assortment of slang expressions, such as the urban chévere and the playful oki doki. Remember that these slang terms are the informal gems of conversation, so just be mindful of your audience to avoid using them with any authority figures!

Now that you’re equipped with a versatile array of expressions, your journey in mastering the art of saying OK in Spanish has taken a significant step forward. Perfecto!