With its expressive and rich vocabulary, Spanish offers a variety of ways to express admiration and praise towards people. This is especially helpful when you’re in a foreign country and want to make friends or improve your relationships with others. Whether you want to congratulate someone for their great performance, highlight a stellar play in sports, or applaud someone for their determination, these Spanish phrases will come in handy for any occasion.
In English, the most common phrases are “good job” and “well done.” These translate to Spanish, but today we will cover other phrases that specifically praise individuals or groups of people. Some of these phrases give compliments, some encourage, and others highlight outstanding performances. Let’s review nine different ways to say “good job” or “well done” in Spanish.
iBuen trabajo!
Buen trabajo! is a versatile expression of praise used in sports, artistic performances, or any situation where effort is commendable. It translates to “good job” and is among the most common ways to acknowledge someone’s effort. In sports, it can be used to recognize achievements even if the team loses.
iBuen trabajo en el partido de hoy!
Good job in today’s game!
iFelicidades!
One of Spanish’s most common congratulatory phrases is the simple ¡Felicidades! It translates to “congratulations” in English. This versatile expression is slightly formal and used to celebrate significant achievements or milestones.
In sports, it’s employed to acknowledge victories, accomplishments, and successes. Unlike phrases shouted in a rowdy crowd, ¡Felicidades! is best delivered face-to-face, often accompanied by a hug or handshake.
iBravo!
Unlike ¡Felicidades!, ¡Bravo! is much less formal and is great for yelling out during a rowdy crowd to praise someone for their performance. It shows public recognition in front of an audience or crowd, and it’s usually demonstrated collectively. It’s normal to scream ¡Bravo! at the top of your lungs while clapping at the same time.
- iBravo! iQué golazo! = Bravo, what a great goal!
- iBravo! Eso fue genial! = Bravo, that was genius!
iBien hecho!
¡Bien hecho! is the equivalent of “well done” in English. Similar to ¡Buen trabajo!, it also acknowledges a good performance, effort, or task execution. It serves as positive feedback to encourage continued hard work or can be used in sports to highlight a specific successful action, such as a strategic move.
iBien hecho equipo, jugaron muy bien!
Well done team, you played very well!
iMuy bien!
A simpler way to praise someone in any situation, whether sports or a performance, is to say ¡Muy bien! (very good). This phrase highlights good actions and is often used to give positive feedback, encourage effort, or promote confidence.
In sports, ¡Muy bien! emphasises good actions like a successful pass or move, or a display of good sportsmanship. It’s typically accompanied by clapping and shouted out during a match.
iMuy bien equipo, excelente jugada!
Very good team, excellent play!
iBien jugado!
¡Bien jugado! means “well played” in English. This phrase is commonly used in sports to congratulate someone on their skillful play or overall performance. It can be directed towards the entire team or a specific player. In terms of sportsmanship, this phrase can be exchanged between opposing teams or players at the conclusion of a game.
- iBien jugado, equipo! Fue un partido difícil. = Well played, it was a tough match.
- iBien jugado! Sigue así y lo vas a lograr. = Well played, keep it up and you’ll achieve it.
iExcelente jugada! or ¡Excelente partido!
Similar to the phrase above, another way to congratulate in sports is by saying ¡Excelente jugada! which means “excellent play” in English. It emphasises a specific move or play during a game.
¡Excelente partido! or “great match” in English, praises the overall performance of the game or match rather than just a single move or play. It’s used to commend team members for their collective effort in a game.
- iExcelente jugada! Así se defiende el balón. = Excellent play, that’s how you defend the ball.
- iExcelente partido! Ganamos merecidamente. = Great match! We won deservedly.
iBuen Esfuerzo!
To acknowledge or encourage someone’s effort, especially in a situation where they made a strong attempt but did not achieve the desired outcome, you can say ¡Buen esfuerzo! (good effort or nice try).
This phrase is primarily used to offer support when someone didn’t perform well or when a person or team experiences a loss. It demonstrates appreciation for their hard work and determination.
¡Buen esfuerzo, casi lo logramos!
Good effort, we almost made it.
iExcelente! iFantástico! iImpresionante! iMaravilloso!
Lastly, there are various single-word praises to highlight someone’s outstanding performance. Some of these include ¡Excelente! (excellent), ¡Fantástico! (fantastic), ¡Impresionante! (impressive), and ¡Maravilloso! (marvelous). They are all great options for quick congratulations.
