잘했어
jalhaesseo
The English phrase "nice one" is translated into Korean as 잘했어 (jalhaesseo).
This phrase is used to praise someone for doing something well. While it translates literally to "you did well", in casual conversation it functions as an exclamation of praise similar to "nice one" or "good job".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb 잘 (well) and the past tense of 하다 (to do).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 잘했어 is informal and should only be used with friends, children or people younger than you. If you wish to express awe at someone's accomplishments or talents in professional settings, you may use the formal 대단하시네요 (You are amazing). For an informal and energetic compliment on someone's achievements, you can use 대단해! (Awesome!).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase polite and suitable for use with people older than you or in less familiar settings, you can use the polite form 잘했어요 (you did well). For highly formal or official professional settings, use the form 잘했습니다 (you did well).
How do you pronounce it?
jalhaesseo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, using 잘했어 toward a social superior is not just impolite but can be seen as condescending, as the phrase carries an inherent tone of evaluation from a higher status to a lower one.
- In sports or gaming, Koreans often shorten the praise to just 나이스 (na-i-seu), which is the English word 'nice' adapted into Korean phonetics, rather than using 잘했어.
- Korean has a specific concept called 칭찬 (ching-chan) for praise, but some older generations may react with modesty or denial when receiving 잘했어요 because admitting to 'doing well' can be seen as arrogant.
Examples in context
- 정말 잘했어!jeongmal jalhaesseo!You really did well!
- 이번 시험 잘했어.ibeon siheom jalhaesseo.You did well on this exam.
- 와, 진짜 잘했어!wa, jinjja jalhaesseo!Wow, you really did a great job!
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are playing a video game together.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준, 이번에 정말 잘했어!Minjun, ibeone jeongmal jalhaesseo!Minjun, you did a great job this time!
- 민준 Min-jun고마워, 서연 덕분이야.gomawo, Seoyeon deokbun-iya.Thanks, it's thanks to you, Seoyeon.
- 서연 Seo-yeon우리 이제 다 깼다!uri ije da kkaetda!We finally beat it all!
- 민준 Min-jun우리 팀워크가 좋았어.uri timwokeuga joasseo.Our teamwork was great.
