bon travail
In French, "great work" can be expressed as bon travail.
An expression used to praise someone for doing a task well.
Which one should you use?
You can use Très bon travail to mean "very good work" or Excellent travail to mean "excellent work". In informal settings, you might use Super boulot for "great job" or "awesome work" or simply Génial to mean "awesome" or "fantastic".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use bon travail as an exclamation, but in natural French, it can sound slightly clinical or like a direct translation from English. Using Bravo or Félicitations is often more natural for praising an achievement.
Did you know?
- The word travail has a dark origin, as it stems from the Latin tripālium, which was a torture device consisting of three stakes.
- French speakers might use Félicitations where an English speaker would say 'great work' to acknowledge a milestone.
- The word génial is often used as a one-word replacement for 'great work' in high-energy informal contexts.
Example conversation
Chloé is reviewing Hugo's report.
- ChloéJ'ai lu ton rapport, Hugo.I read your report, Hugo.
- HugoEst-ce que c'est correct ?Is it correct?
- ChloéOui, bon travail !Yes, great work!
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Chloé.Thank you very much, Chloé.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, travail, CC BY-SA 4.0.
