andare bene

Literally, “to go well”. Compare French aller bien.

• IPA^(key): /anˈda.re ˈbɛ.ne/
• Hyphenation: an‧dà‧re‧bè‧ne

andàre bene (first-person singular present vàdo bene, first-person singular past historic andài bene, past participle andàto bene, first-person singular future andrò bene, first-person singular subjunctive vàda bene, second-person singular imperative vài bene or và' bene, auxiliary èssere)

1. (intransitive) to be on the right way [with per ‘to or towards’]

   Synonym: essere sulla strada giusta

   • 15^th century, Bernardino of Siena, “La via buona”, in Novellette ed esempi morali [Stories and moral examples]; republished as Alfredo Baldi, editor, Lanciano: Carabba, 1916:

     Piglia l’essemplo come colui che […] , volendo andare a Roma, si mette nella via, e vanne alla Porta Nuova per la dritta via che il condurrà a Roma. Non fare come molti altri che dicono: “Io voglio andare a Roma,” e vanno alla Porta a Camollía, e escono fuore, che va a contrario. E èglie detto: “E dove vai?” “Vo a Roma.” “Tu non vai bene.”

     Take as an example the one who, […] wishing to go to Rome, hits the bricks, and goes to Porta Nuova, through the right way that will lead him to Rome. Do not do as many others [do], saying: "I wish to go to Rome", and going to Porta Camollia; and [then] go out, on the opposite way. And they're asked: "Where are you going?" "I'm going to Rome." "You’re not on the right way".

2. (intransitive) to be fine or OK [with a ‘by or for someone’]

   Mi va bene ― It's fine by me

   Se a voi va bene, facciamo così. ― If it's OK with you, we'll do it.

   • 1820, Giacomo Leopardi, Pensieri di varia filosofia e di bella letteratura [Thoughts on various philosophies and good literature]‎^[1]; republished, Giosuè Carducci, editor, Florence: Le Monnier, 1898, page 197:

     Sin qui andava bene: ma v’era il grandissimo inconveniente che l’interesse che i lettori possono prendere per li fortunati, ancorché virtuosi, è scarso, debole e breve […]

     It was fine until then; but there was a major obstacle: the interest readers can have for the lucky — albeit virtuous — ones is scarce, weak, and short-lived

   • 1881, Giovanni Verga, “Capitolo I”, in I Malavoglia:

     Bastianazzo dimenava il capo e faceva segno di no, che così non andava bene

     Bastianazzo was shaking his head while signaling disagreement, and that it wasn't good

3. (intransitive) to be doing well or fine or good or OK
   • 1886, Edmondo De Amicis, “Primavera [Spring]”, Aprile [April], in Cuore [Heart]; republished as Levi Oscar Kuhns, editor, New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1896:

     Anche ero contento […] perché ieri sera, passando, il maestro disse a mio padre: - Va bene, va bene. -

     I was happy also […] because last night, when he visited, my teacher told my father: "He's doing good, he's doing good."

4. (intransitive) to be going well or fine or good or OK
   • 1850 [1762], “Dei segni di un buon governo [Of the signs of a good government]” (chapter 9), Libro terzo [Third book], in anonymous translator, Il contratto sociale [The social contract]‎^[2], Italy, translation of Du contrat social by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (in French), footnote 1, page 147:

     No, checchè ne dicano, quando un paese si spopola, malgrado il suo splendore, non è vero che tutto vada bene, e non basta che un poeta abbia centomila franchi di rendita per far sì che il suo secolo sia il migliore di tutti.

     [original: Non, quoiqu’ils en puissent dire, quand malgré son éclat un pays se dépeuple, il n’est pas vrai que tout aille bien, et il ne suffit pas qu’un poëte ait cent mille livres de rente pour que son siecle soit le meilleur de tous.]

     No: whatever they say about it, when a country depopulates despite its splendour, it's not true that everything is going fine; and a poet having an income of a hundred thousand francs is not enough to make his century the best of all.

   • 1913, Flavia Steno, chapter V (chapter 5), Parte prima - In cerca della bella morte, in La veste d'amianto [The asbestos dress]‎^[3], Milan: Fratelli Treves, page 97:

     Si ricorda che era stabilito appunto così, che andando bene le cose lei sarebbe ripartito subito da Evolena?

     That's exactly how it was planned, don't you remember? If things had been going well, you would have left Evolène at once.

     (literally, “Do you remember that it was decided just like this, that going well the things you would have gone back immediately from Evolène?”)

5. (intransitive) to fit (have right size and cut, as of clothing)
6. (transitive) to fit (conform to in size and shape) [with a ‘someone or something’]

   Synonym: stare bene

   Questi pantaloni ti vanno proprio bene! ― These trousers really fit you!

• va bene

• bene¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana