bien joué
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
In French, "good game" is expressed as bien joué.
The phrase bien joué is a versatile way to say "well played" and is used to show sportsmanship or to congratulate an opponent after a match.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "well played", where bien means "well" and joué is the past participle of the verb jouer, meaning "to play".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While bien joué is a standard expression, it is most commonly used in informal settings such as sports or gaming rather than in formal ceremonies.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase bien joué functions as an invariable interjection, meaning it does not change its form to agree with a subject or gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid translating "good game" literally as bon jeu. Instead, use the idiomatic bien joué to express sportsmanship.
Did you know?
- If someone makes a mistake, saying bien joué can be a very common way to mock them, similar to saying 'nice one' in English.
- When a move is particularly brilliant, a French speaker might say coup de maître instead of bien joué to describe a 'masterstroke'.
- While bien joué is for sportsmanship, French speakers use bien vu to praise a clever observation or a 'good call' during a game.
Examples in context
- Bien joué, les gars!Well played, guys!
- Bien joué, c'était une belle partie.Good game, it was a beautiful match.
- Bien joué, tu as été très fort.Good game, you were very strong.
- C'était un match serré, bien joué !It was a close match, good game!
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are shaking hands after a tennis match.
- LéaBien joué, Hugo.Good game, Hugo.
- HugoMerci, Léa. C'était difficile.Thanks, Léa. It was difficult.
- LéaTu as vraiment bien joué.You really played well.
- HugoC'est gentil, à la prochaine !That's kind, see you next time!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bien joué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
