buen trabajo
/bwen tɾabaxo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "nice work" is translated into Spanish as buen trabajo.
The phrase is used to praise someone for performing a task well. You might also use the common alternative bien hecho to express that a task has been well done.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buen (good) and trabajo (work).
Which one should you use?
While buen trabajo is a direct way to say "good work", bien hecho is a very common alternative specifically used to say "well done" for a completed task.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can say ¡Buen laburo! to mean "Good job!" In Mexico, the informal term ¡Chingón! can be used to mean "awesome" or "superb".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bueno shortens to buen when it is placed immediately before a masculine singular noun such as trabajo.
Did you know?
- The word trabajo shares a deep history with the Latin tripālium, which was a three-staked instrument of torture. This suggests that 'work' was once viewed as a form of suffering.
- In Argentina, the phrase ¡Buen laburo! replaces the standard trabajo with a word borrowed from the Italian lavoro. This highlights how Italian immigration reshaped the local way of praising effort.
- The Mexican slang ¡Chingón! can express that a job was done superbly, but it is considered vulgar by some conservative speakers. Using it in a professional setting could be seen as inappropriate despite the praise.
Examples in context
- ¡Buen trabajo, equipo!Nice work, team!
- Buen trabajo con el informe.Nice work with the report.
- ¡Buen trabajo en la presentación!Nice work on the presentation!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are finishing a project at the office.
- AlejandroTerminé mi parte del proyecto, Lucía.I finished my part of the project, Lucía.
- Lucía¡Buen trabajo, Alejandro!Nice work, Alejandro!
- AlejandroGracias, tú también hiciste mucho.Thanks, you did a lot too.
- LucíaAhora podemos descansar.Now we can rest.
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.
