bien hecho, chicos
The English phrase "well done, guys" is translated into Spanish as bien hecho, chicos.
This phrase is used to praise a group of people for completing a task successfully. You can shorten the expression to just ¡Bien hecho! if you wish to praise an achievement without specifically addressing the group as "guys".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bien (well), hecho (done/made) and chicos (guys/boys).
Which one should you use?
While bien hecho is a literal translation of "well done", buen trabajo (good work) is a very common alternative used to express the same sentiment of praise.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word chicos can be replaced with muchachos to refer to a group of young men or a mixed group of people in a slightly more traditional or regional way.
Did you know?
- While chicos is often used for 'guys', in many Latin American countries, calling a group chicos can sound patronizing, as if you are treating them like children.
- The word hecho shares an ancestor with the English word 'fact', as both descend from the Latin 'faciō' meaning 'to do' or 'to make'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, if you say bien hecho to refer to a person's character rather than an action, it can imply that the person is 'well-made' or 'well-built'.
Examples in context
- ¡Excelente trabajo, señores! Han logrado un gran hito en este proyectoExcellent job, gentlemen! You have achieved a significant milestone in this project.
- ¡Muy buen trabajo, chicos! Lo dimos todo y ganamos juntosVery good job, guys! We gave it our all and won together.
- Todo salió perfecto, ¡bien hecho, chicos!Everything turned out perfect, well done, guys!
- El proyecto fue un éxito, bien hecho, chicos.The project was a success, well done, guys.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are leading a team after a successful presentation.
- Daniel¡Bien hecho, chicos! Fue una gran presentación.Well done, guys! It was a great presentation.
- SofíaGracias, Daniel. Todos trabajamos mucho.Thank you, Daniel. Everyone worked hard.
- DanielSe nota el esfuerzo en el resultado final.The effort shows in the final result.
- SofíaEstamos muy felices con el éxito.We are very happy with the success.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, hecho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
