What does it mean word for word?
The phrase buen trabajo, chicos is composed of buen (good), trabajo (work/job) and chicos (guys/boys/kids).
Which one should you use?
If you are in a professional or formal setting, you should use more formal expressions such as Excelente labor, caballeros or Felicitaciones por el gran trabajo, compañeros to acknowledge team effort. For a more casual or colloquial tone, you can use ¡Estuvieron fantásticos, chavales!
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Buen trabajo, chicos is an informal expression. For a slightly different informal nuance when addressing peers or younger people, you can use buen trabajo, muchachos. In strictly formal or professional environments, use Excelente labor, caballeros or Felicitaciones por el gran trabajo, compañeros.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, a regional variation is ¡Buen laburo, pibes! In Mexico, you may hear ¡Bien hecho, muchachada!
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group you are praising consists entirely of females, you must replace chicos with chicas to say buen trabajo, chicas.
Did you know?
- In Argentina, the word laburo is used instead of trabajo, a linguistic remnant of the massive wave of Italian immigration to the region.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling adults chicos in a professional setting can be perceived as patronizing, as the word specifically evokes children.
- While chavales is a standard informal way to say 'guys' in Spain, using it in Latin America would immediately mark the speaker as being from the Iberian Peninsula.
Examples in context
- Buen trabajo, chicos, la cena quedó excelente.Good job, guys, the dinner turned out excellent.
- ¡Buen trabajo, chicos! Terminamos el proyecto a tiempo.Good job, guys! We finished the project on time.
- Buen trabajo, chicos, todo salió de maravilla.Good job, guys, everything went wonderfully.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are finishing a group presentation at work.
- Daniel¡Buen trabajo, chicos! La presentación fue un éxito.Good job, guys! The presentation was a success.
- LucíaGracias, Daniel, nos esforzamos mucho.Thanks, Daniel, we worked very hard.
- DanielSe nota que Lucía coordinó todo muy bien.It shows that Lucía coordinated everything very well.
- LucíaFue un gran esfuerzo de equipo.It was a great team effort.
