buen trabajo
/bwen tɾabaxo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "job well done" is translated into Spanish as buen trabajo.
Buen trabajo is a standard way to offer praise for a completed task in both professional and casual settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buen (good) and trabajo (work/job).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people commonly use ¡Felicidades por tu excelente trabajo! or ¡Bien hecho! In Spain, ¡Enhorabuena! is frequently used to recognize an accomplishment, as is ¡Has hecho un trabajo fantástico! In Argentina and Uruguay, it is common to praise someone's abilities by saying ¡Sos un/a genio! Various Latin American countries also use the colloquial expression ¡Qué buen trabajo te mandaste!
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase buen trabajo, the adjective bueno is shortened to buen because it precedes a masculine singular noun.
Did you know?
- In Spain, the common way to praise a job well done, ¡Enhorabuena!, literally translates to 'in good hour'. This implies that the success happened at a fortuitous or auspicious moment.
- The phrase ¡Qué buen trabajo te mandaste! in Latin America uses the verb mandar, which usually means 'to send'. In this specific context, it describes the act of 'sending' or 'putting out' a performance into the world.
- The term trabajo evolved from a Latin word describing a mechanical process of stretching or twisting, reflecting the effort involved in labor.
Examples in context
- ¡Buen trabajo con el informe!Good job with the report!
- Fue un buen trabajo, de verdad.It was a good job, truly.
- Hiciste un buen trabajo hoy.You did a good job today.
Example conversation
Alejandro is a manager praising Sofía after she finishes a presentation.
- AlejandroSofía, hiciste un buen trabajo con la presentación.Sofía, you did a good job with the presentation.
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Alejandro.Thank you very much, Alejandro.
- AlejandroTodo el equipo está muy contento.The whole team is very happy.
- SofíaMe alegra mucho saber eso.I am very happy to know that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
