Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| bien hecho | /ˌbjen ˈet͡ʃo/ |
| muy bien | /ˌmui ˈbjen/ |
| bravo | /ˈbɾabo/ |
In Spanish, there are several ways to express praise depending on the context. bien hecho can function as an exclamation of praise or as an adjective meaning "well performed" or "well done" (such as a job well done). It can also be used to mean "well cooked." For a quick and enthusiastic exclamation of praise, muy bien is often a more natural choice than bien hecho. Other ways to offer praise include ¡Fantástico trabajo! (Fantastic job!), Lo has hecho de maravilla (You've done it wonderfully) and Eres un verdadero profesional (You're a true professional).
Which one should you use?
While bien hecho is used as an exclamation of praise, it is more commonly used as an adjective phrase describing something that has been performed well. If you want to say "well done!" as a quick, enthusiastic exclamation of praise, muy bien (very well) is often more natural. You may also use bravo to mean "Bravo!" or muy bien to mean "very well."
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using bien hecho as an adjective to describe a feminine noun, it must change to the feminine form bien hecha.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbjen ˈetʃo/
When do people say it?
There are many colloquial ways to praise someone's skill in Spanish. You might say ¡Eres un crack! to tell someone "you're a pro" or "you're amazing," or use the expression Lo has bordado to say "you've nailed it." In a different context, if you want to say something is "well cooked," you can use bien hecho or bien cocido.
Did you know?
- To tell someone they 'nailed it' in a very casual way, you can say Lo has bordado, which literally means 'You have embroidered it'.
- The word bravo has a strange history, potentially evolving from a mixture of the Latin words for 'bad' and 'barbarian'.
- In Spanish, calling someone un crack to mean they are a pro is a common slang term derived from English influence in sports.
Examples in context
- Bien hecho es mejor que bien dicho.Well done is better than well said.This sentence uses bien hecho to contrast doing something well versus saying something well.Tatoeba #1743507 by marcelostockle, translation #325874 by shekitten
- Te felicito por un trabajo bien hecho.I congratulate you on a job well done.This sentence uses bien hecho to describe a job that has been performed well.Tatoeba #2324909 by marcelostockle, translation #2308014 by CK
- La recompensa es el trabajo bien hecho.The reward is a job well done.Tatoeba #5965108 by arh, translation #8174346 by magnificentgoddess
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is praising Daniel for finishing a difficult project.
- Lucía¡Bien hecho, Daniel!Well done, Daniel!
- DanielGracias, Lucía.Thank you, Lucía.
- LucíaTu informe es excelente.Your report is excellent.
- DanielMe esforcé mucho.I worked very hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well done” translations and entries bien hecho, muy bien, bravo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, bravo, hecho, muy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
