bien joué
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
In French, "well done" can be expressed as bien joué or bravo.
Meaning: exclamation of praise (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| bien joué | /bjɛ̃ ʒwe/ |
| bravo | /bʁa.vo/ |
Both terms are exclamations of praise. Bien joué is often used to acknowledge someone performing a task or a specific move with skill. It can also be used sarcastically to mean "nice one" when someone makes a mistake, much like the English "well played".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bien joué literally means "well played".
Which one should you use?
While both serve as praise, bravo is a more general exclamation, whereas bien joué specifically implies that someone has performed a task or a move skillfully.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/bjɛ̃ ʒwe/
Did you know?
- While bravo is used as praise today, it is a doublet of the English word 'brave'. Both come from the Italian bravo, which originally described someone who was courageous or a bold mercenary.
- In French theater and opera, a crowd might shout bravo specifically to a performer, but shouting bis! is the way to tell them they did so well they must repeat the piece.
- French learners should be careful with bravo in formal written reports. While common in speech, using it in a formal evaluation can seem too casual or childish compared to phrases like félicitations.
Examples in context
- Bien joué ! Ce n'est pas mauvais.Well done! That's not bad.This sentence shows how to use bien joué to praise a result.Tatoeba #4862180 by sacredceltic, translation #2460427 by Objectivesea
- Bravo ! Tu as joliment réalisé ce dessin.Well done! You have drawn this picture nicely.This sentence demonstrates the use of bravo to praise a drawing.Tatoeba #1099412 by sacredceltic, translation #1098783 by cntrational
- Bravo !Well done!This sentence shows bravo used as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #5822028 by EvaFranska, translation #464478 by lukaszpp
- Je voudrais ma viande bien cuite, s'il vous plaît.I would like my meat well done, please.
- Est-ce que je peux avoir ma viande bien cuite?Can I have my meat well done?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a tennis club.
- GabrielTu as gagné le point, Manon !You won the point, Manon!
- ManonMerci, Gabriel.Thank you, Gabriel.
- GabrielBien joué !Well done!
- ManonC'était un match difficile.It was a difficult match.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “well done” translations and entries bien joué, bravo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, bravo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
