gute Arbeit
The English phrase 'great job' is translated into German as gute Arbeit.
In German, gute Arbeit is frequently used as a noun phrase describing the quality of a task completed, whereas English speakers often use 'great job' as a standalone interjection.
Meaning: well done, congrats! (intj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 'gute' takes the '-e' ending because it is an adjective modifying the feminine noun 'Arbeit' in the nominative or accusative case.
What mistakes should you avoid?
If you want to say 'great job!' as a spontaneous exclamation to a friend or colleague, Gut gemacht! is much more natural than gute Arbeit. Hut ab is an informal idiomatic way to say Hats off.
Did you know?
- The German word Arbeit shares a surprising historical root with the English word 'orphan'. Both words stem from an ancient Indo-European term referring to a 'servant' or 'one who works'.
- In a professional German context, praise like gute Arbeit is often delivered more sparingly than in the US. Over-praising can sometimes be perceived as insincere or patronizing.
- In many German-speaking workplaces, you might hear Saubere Arbeit! which literally means 'Clean work!' It is used similarly to the English 'neat job' or 'well done'.
Examples in context
- Er hat gute Arbeit geleistet.He did a great job.This sentence demonstrates how to use gute Arbeit to describe the work someone has performed.Tatoeba #1864913 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1862547 by Spamster
- Du hast heute gute Arbeit geleistet.You did a great job today.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are discussing a completed project at the office.
- HannahJulian, das war wirklich gute Arbeit!Julian, that was really great work!
- JulianVielen Dank, Hannah!Thank you very much, Hannah!
- HannahIch bin sehr stolz auf dich.I am very proud of you.
- JulianDas freut mich sehr zu hören.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Arbeit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
