Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| foarte bine | /ˈfo̯ar.te ˈbi.ne/ (word by word) |
| bună treabă | |
| bine jucat | |
| felicitări |
In Romanian, you choose your expression based on what you are praising. Use foarte bine for general praise of a task or performance. If you are celebrating a major achievement or milestone, use felicitări. If you want to praise a specific performance in a game, a sport or a theatrical context, use bine jucat. To express that someone performed a morally righteous action, such as doing the right thing, use bine făcut. For food, you can use bine fiert, bine gătit or bine prăjit.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase foarte bine is a literal combination of foarte, meaning "very" and bine, meaning "well".
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in their specific application and tone. foarte bine is a standard way to give general praise, while bună treabă is a more colloquial way to say "good job". felicitări is reserved for significant achievements, and bine jucat is used specifically for the quality of a performance in games or arts.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of foarte bine is /ˈfo̯ar.te ˈbi.ne/. The stressed syllable is the first of the four syllables.
When do people say it?
To offer heartfelt praise or sincere congratulations, you can use the expression felicitări din tot sufletul, which translates to "well done from the bottom of my heart".
Did you know?
- The word foarte in 'foarte bine' originates from the Latin 'fortis', meaning 'strong'. It shares a distant root with the English word 'forte', though it is used in Romanian as an intensifier like 'very'.
- To express the deepest sincerity, Romanians use felicitări din tot sufletul, which literally says the praise comes from the 'whole soul'.
- The phrase bine jucat is used not only for sports but also for theatrical performances, treating an actor's role as a 'game' played well.
Examples in context
- Ai făcut foarte bine.You did very well.
Example conversation
Andrei is praising Elena for her presentation at work.
- AndreiElena, prezentarea ta a fost foarte bine făcută.Elena, your presentation was very well done.
- ElenaMulțumesc mult, Andrei.Thank you very much, Andrei.
- AndreiAi vorbit foarte bine în fața echipei.You spoke very well in front of the team.
- ElenaMă bucur să aud asta.I am glad to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well done” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (foarte, bine) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bine, bună, foarte, jucat, treabă, CC BY-SA 4.0.
