bien joué
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
The French phrase for "good shot" is bien joué.
The phrase bien joué is used to praise someone for a clever move or a successful action. It is appropriate for use in games, sports or various social situations.
Which one should you use?
While bien joué is a common way to say "good shot" or "well played", you might choose other terms depending on the context. Super tir! is an informal way to say "great shot", whereas excellent coup can be used to translate "excellent shot" in more formal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
When do people say it?
To express admiration and congratulations in an upbeat manner, speakers often use the expression Bravo!
Did you know?
- When someone achieves a 'good shot' in a very impressive way, the French may use the slang propre, which literally means 'clean'.
- While bien joué is a literal translation of 'well played', using it in a high-stakes professional setting can sometimes sound patronizing, as if you are a teacher praising a student.
- The word bien in bien joué comes from the Latin word bene, which is the ancestor of English words like 'benefit' and 'benevolent'.
Examples in context
- Bravo ! Bien joué pour ce super tir !Well done! Great shot!
- Super tir ! Tu assures, mec !Great shot! You rock, man!
- Bien joué !Good shot!
- C'était un coup de maître, bien joué.It was a masterstroke, well played.
- Tu as trouvé la solution, bien joué.You found the solution, good job.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are playing a board game together.
- NathanJe vais déplacer mon pion ici.I am going to move my piece here.
- LéaBien joué, Nathan, c'est un excellent coup.Good shot, Nathan, it's an excellent move.
- NathanMerci, je ne pensais pas y arriver.Thanks, I didn't think I would make it.
- LéaMaintenant, c'est à mon tour.Now, it's my turn.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bien joué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
