At some point, you’ll want to say 'good job' in Spanish — at work, with friends, with your teacher, or even to yourself 💪
But here’s the problem: Spanish doesn’t use one single expression for good job.
Depending on the situation, Spanish speakers choose different phrases depending on:
🏢 How formal the moment is.
🤝 How close you are to the person.
🎉 How enthusiastic you want to sound.
In this blog, you’ll learn natural ways Spaniards really say 'good job', from polite and professional to casual and slangy. Let’s go 👇
If you translate good job literally into Spanish, you’ll probably find buen trabajo — and yes, it’s correct 👍
But in real life, Spanish speakers don’t always stick to just one expression.
Imagine this situation 👇
Your colleague finishes a presentation, your friend sends you a video they’ve edited, or a student hands in an assignment. In Spanish, the way you react depends a lot on how close you are and how enthusiastic you want to sound.
In neutral situations, Spaniards often say:
👉 Buen trabajo
👉 Lo has hecho muy bien
For example:
👉 Buen trabajo, lo has hecho muy bien.
(Good job, you did it very well.)
It’s polite, natural and works in many contexts — but it’s only the starting point 😉
Another expression you’ll hear all the time is ¡Bien hecho!
It’s short, clear and perfect when someone has just finished something successfully.
You might hear it after an exam, a presentation or even during sports:
👉 ¡Bien hecho! Has terminado a tiempo.
(Well done! You finished on time.)
It sounds encouraging and positive without being too formal or too casual — a real Spanish classic 👌
Spanish speakers love intensifiers 😄
When something has gone really well, they naturally add a bit more emotion.
That’s why you’ll often hear expressions like:
👉 ¡Muy bien!
👉 ¡Muy buen trabajo!
👉 ¡Excelente trabajo!
For example:
👉 ¡Muy buen trabajo! Estoy muy contento con el resultado.
(Very good job! I’m really happy with the result.)
These phrases are common at work, in class and even at home — anywhere you want to show genuine appreciation.
Now let’s move to informal Spanish — the kind you’ll hear with friends, classmates or relaxed colleagues 😏
In these situations, Spaniards often drop trabajo completely and go for something more expressive:
👉 ¡Qué bien!
👉 ¡Genial!
👉 ¡Qué crack!
👉 ¡Te ha quedado genial!
For example:
👉 ¡Qué crack! Te ha quedado genial el vídeo.
(You smashed it! The video turned out great.)
These expressions sound friendly, enthusiastic and very natural, perfect for friends, colleagues you know well, or relaxed situations. — but remember ⚠️ they’re informal, so not ideal for emails or professional settings.
In more professional or academic contexts, Spanish becomes a bit more structured again.
Here, people tend to use full sentences that sound respectful and clear.
Common options are:
👉 Has hecho un gran trabajo
👉 Excelente trabajo
For example:
👉 Has hecho un gran trabajo en el proyecto.
(You did a great job on the project.)
This kind of language is perfect for:
Spanish speakers often add a reason when giving compliments. It sounds more natural and warmer ❤️
Examples:
👉 Buen trabajo, se nota el esfuerzo.
(Good job, you can tell you put in effort.)
👉 Lo has hecho muy bien, está muy claro.
(You did it very well, it’s very clear.)
👉 Me ha gustado mucho cómo lo has explicado.
(I really liked how you explained it.)
👩💼: Buen trabajo con la presentación.
Good job with the presentation.
👨💼: Gracias, me ha ayudado el equipo.
Thanks, the team helped me.
👩🏫: ¡Muy bien! Está todo correcto.
Very good! Everything is correct.
👨🎓: ¡Gracias!
Thank you!
👩: ¡Qué crack! Te ha quedado genial.
You’re a legend! It turned out great.
👨: ¡Gracias! Ha costado, pero ha salido bien.
Thanks! It was hard work, but it turned out well.
❌ Buen trabajos
✅ Buen trabajo
❌ Using slang in formal emails 😅
❌ Only saying bien with no context
👉 Tip: adding a reason always sounds more natural.
👏 Buen trabajo – good job
🎯 Bien hecho – well done
🔥 Muy bien – very good
💼 Has hecho un gran trabajo – you did a great job
😎 Qué crack – you’re awesome (slang)
❤️ Te ha quedado genial – it turned out great
There’s no single way to say good job in Spanish — and that’s the good news 😄
Spanish lets you choose expressions depending on context, emotion and relationship.
So next time someone does something well, you’ll know exactly what to say — naturally and confidently 👏🇪🇸
Instructions:
Read the questions and choose the most natural option in Spanish. Think about the context: formal, informal or slang 😎 Ready?
📝 Which one sounds most natural to you? 🤓 Which expression would you use at work? 👉 How do you say good job in your language?
💛 Write your answers in the comments!