bien jugado
/bjen xuɡado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "well played" is translated into Spanish as bien jugado.
bien jugado is used to praise someone for performing a game or a specific move with skill. However, it can also be used sarcastically to mock someone's mistake or a bad outcome.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bien (well) and the past participle jugado (played).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you might say ¡Te rifaste! to mean "you played hard" or "you did your best". In Argentina, ¡Buen laburo! is used to mean "good job" or "good work". In Spain, ¡Chapeau! is used to applaud an exceptional performance or achievement.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are referring to a specific feminine noun like jugada (a move or play), the adjective changes to the feminine form bien jugada.
Did you know?
- While bien jugado is a compliment, saying estás jugado to a person in some regions means they are in a desperate or precarious situation.
- In Mexico, the phrase ¡Te rifaste! is used to praise a great performance, coming from the word for 'raffle' to suggest the person took a gamble and won.
- The word bien traces its roots back to the Latin bene, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'bonus'.
Examples in context
- ¡Bien jugado, me ganaste!Well played, you beat me!
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are finishing a game of chess.
- Sofía¡Bien jugado, Javier!Well played, Javier!
- JavierGracias, Sofía, fue una partida difícil.Thanks, Sofía, it was a difficult game.
- SofíaTu estrategia fue muy buena.Your strategy was very good.
- JavierTú también jugaste increíble.You played incredibly too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, jugado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
