szép volt
[ˈseːp ˈvolt]word by word
In Hungarian, "well done" can be expressed through several exclamations of praise, most commonly szép volt. Wiktionary also lists ez igen.
Meaning: exclamation of praise (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hungarian | IPA |
|---|---|
| szép volt | [ˈseːp ˈvolt] (word by word, narrow) |
| ez igen | [ˈɛz ˈiɡɛn] (narrow) |
The phrases used for "well done" are exclamations used to praise an achievement or a job well performed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase szép volt literally translates to "it was beautiful".
Which one should you use?
In contrast, ez igen is a more enthusiastic and colloquial way to say "well done", often used in a sense of "that's the stuff" or "that's more like it" when someone finally performs impressively or does something correctly.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using jól van to mean "well done". jól van actually means "it is good" or "it is okay" and does not convey praise for an achievement.
When do people say it?
Hungarian speakers use borrowed terms like Bravo! to show approval.
Did you know?
- The phrase szép volt uses the word szép, which might be distantly related to the word for a 'smith' in other Finno-Ugric languages like Finnish, suggesting a historical connection to being 'skilled' or 'handy'.
Examples in context
- Ez igen, Farid!Well done, Farid!This sentence shows how to use the colloquial ez igen to praise someone by name.Tatoeba #10515978 by iglauko, translation #9287820 by Talwit
- Ügyes vagy a prezentációval, Anna!Great job on your presentation, Anna!
- Szép volt, a prezentáció nagyon jó volt.Well done, the presentation was very good.
- Szép volt, végre megcsináltad!Well done, you finally did it!
Example conversation
Katalin is praising László for finishing a difficult puzzle.
- KatalinVégre kész! Szép volt, László!Finally finished! Well done, László!
- LászlóKöszönöm, nagyon nehéz volt.Thank you, it was very difficult.
- KatalinSokat türelmezkedtél vele.You were very patient with it.
- LászlóIgen, de megérte a fáradtságot.Yes, but it was worth the effort.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well done” translations and entries ez igen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (szép, volt) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ez, igen, szép, volt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
