buen trabajo
/bwen tɾabaxo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'good job' can be translated into Spanish as buen trabajo.
buen trabajo is used to praise someone for their performance or the effort they have put into a task. While it is a common way to express appreciation, it is specifically for praising an action or quality of work rather than referring to someone's professional occupation or employment status.
Meaning: a phrase used to praise for a good job or efforts (intj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, Muy bien hecho is used to mean 'Very well done' and the informal expression ¡Eres un/a crack! can be used to tell someone 'You are a genius'. In Mexico and some other Latin American countries, the expression Te la rifaste is used to express admiration for a remarkable accomplishment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buen is a shortened form of bueno. It is used when the adjective is placed immediately before a masculine singular noun, such as trabajo. Additionally, bien hecho is a very common alternative to buen trabajo when you want to say 'well done' regarding a specific completed task.
Did you know?
- The word trabajo is an unexpected cousin of the English word 'triple', as both derive from roots meaning 'three' or 'threefold'.
- In a professional setting, using buen trabajo to a superior can sometimes be perceived as condescending in certain Latin American hierarchies. It is more common for a boss to say it to an employee than vice versa.
- In Spain, calling someone un crack to praise their work is a borrowing from English sports terminology. It refers to a 'crack' or star player who stands out from the rest of the team.
Examples in context
- Hizo un buen trabajo.She did a good job.This sentence shows how to use buen trabajo to describe a completed task.Tatoeba #1651084 by Shishir, translation #1651044 by Spamster
- ¡Buen trabajo a todos!Good job, everyone!This sentence shows how to use buen trabajo as an exclamation to praise a group.Tatoeba #9411235 by ignacio, translation #9411222 by DJ_Saidez
- Tienes un buen trabajo.You have a good job.This sentence shows how to use buen trabajo when referring to an employment or professional position.Tatoeba #4604142 by saverius, translation #3439666 by CK
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are discussing a completed project at the office.
- AlejandroSofía, hiciste un buen trabajo con la presentación.Sofía, you did a good job with the presentation.
- SofíaGracias, Alejandro, me esforcé mucho.Thanks, Alejandro, I worked very hard.
- AlejandroSe nota que fue un buen trabajo.It is clear that it was a good job.
- SofíaMe alegra mucho escuchar eso.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good job” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buen, trabajo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
