buen trabajo
/bwen tɾabaxo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "nice job" is translated into Spanish as buen trabajo.
buen trabajo is used to praise someone for doing something well. It can also refer to an actual employment position, such as saying someone offered a nice job.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buen (good) and trabajo (work/job).
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, buen trabajo can mean a nice job in terms of an employment position or it can be used as an exclamation to mean "nice job" as praise for an achievement.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bueno is shortened to buen because it precedes a masculine singular noun.
When do people say it?
When using the phrase as an exclamation of praise, it is common to use exclamation marks: ¡Buen trabajo!
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying ¡Buen trabajo! can be perceived as condescending if said by a peer to another peer, as it mimics a boss praising a subordinate.
- The word trabajo is etymologically linked to the concept of 'tripartite' or 'threefold' through the Latin 'tripālis'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, praise like ¡Buen trabajo! is often accompanied by a pat on the back or a firm handshake to solidify the recognition.
Examples in context
- Nosotros le ofrecimos un buen trabajo.We offered him a nice job.This sentence shows how to use buen trabajo to refer to an employment position.Tatoeba #743066 by Shishir, translation #249188 by CK
- ¡Buen trabajo, tío!Nice job, man!This sentence shows how to use buen trabajo as an informal exclamation of praise.Tatoeba #1632259 by wallebot, translation #1632247 by Spamster
- ¡Buen trabajo a todo el equipo! Ha sido un proyecto exitoso.Good job to the whole team! It has been a successful project.
- ¡Genial! Eres un as resolviendo problemas.Great! You're a pro at solving problems.
- ¡Muy bien hecho en el partido, hermano! Marcaste un gol increíble.Very well done in the match, brother! You scored an amazing goal.
- Hiciste un buen trabajo con el informe.You did a nice job with the report.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are at the office after a presentation.
- Alejandro¡Buen trabajo, Sofía!Nice job, Sofía!
- SofíaGracias, Alejandro, tú también lo hiciste muy bien.Thanks, Alejandro, you did very well too.
- AlejandroEstoy muy contento con el resultado.I am very happy with the result.
- SofíaYo también, fue un gran esfuerzo.Me too, it was a great effort.
Sources
- 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.
