Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| よくできました | yoku dekimashita | [jo̞kɯ̟ de̞kʲima̠ɕi̥ta̠] (narrow) | formal |
| 良くやった！ | yoku yatta! | ||
| 善哉！ | zenzai! | ||
| 天晴れ！ | appare! | ||
| よくできた | yoku dekita | informal |
The phrase is used as an exclamation of praise. While よくできました focuses on the successful completion or the ability shown, 良くやった！ focuses more on the action of performing a feat. Note that the katakana loanword ウェルダン is used exclusively for steak cooked to a "well done" level and is not used to praise human performance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase よくできました is composed of yoku (well), deki (to be able to/to be completed) and mashita (past tense polite auxiliary).
Which one should you use?
よくできました is the polite form used by teachers or superiors to praise a student or subordinate, while よくできた is the casual version used with children or close friends. 良くやった！ differs by emphasizing the act of doing or performing, whereas よくできました emphasizes the successful result or demonstrated ability.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よくできました is the formal version. よくできた is the informal version. 天晴れ！ is a highly dramatic and somewhat archaic exclamation of praise, similar to "Bravo!" or "Splendid!"
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
yoku dekimashita
When do people say it?
In professional settings, お疲れ様でした is used to acknowledge someone's hard work. Among friends or close colleagues, you may use the casual お疲れ, the friendlier variation お疲れさん or the shortened form おつかれ.
Did you know?
- In Japanese schools, the phrase よくできました is often accompanied by a 'flower stamp' or a colorful sticker on a student's homework to visually represent the praise.
- The exclamation 天晴れ！ is so dramatic and old-fashioned that it sounds more like something a samurai or a legendary hero in a play would shout than a modern person.
- While 'well done' in English is a direct compliment, the Japanese phrase よくできました can sometimes feel patronizing, as it is most commonly the specific way a teacher speaks to a young child.
Examples in context
- テスト、よくできましたね。Tesuto, yoku dekimashita ne.You did well on the test.
- 資料の整理、よくできました。Shiryou no seiri, yoku dekimashita.You did a good job organizing the documents.
- この絵、よくできましたね。Kono e, yoku dekimashita ne.You did a great job on this picture.
Example conversation
A teacher is praising a student's performance in class.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さん、よくできました。Youta-san, yoku dekimashita.Well done, Youta.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 結衣 Yuiとても丁寧でしたよ。Totemo teinei deshita yo.It was very polite and careful.
- 陽太 Yotaもっと頑張ります。Motto ganbarimasu.I will try even harder.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well done” translations and entries よくできました, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
