Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Good Job in Spanish: Buen Trabajo
Buen Trabajo · phrase · bwehn trah-BAH-hoh
Buen trabajo is the direct Spanish translation of good job and is used to praise someone's effort or result. Bien hecho (well done) is a more casual alternative, while ¡Muy bien! (very good!) is the go-to encouragement for children and students. Each phrase carries a slightly different tone of praise.
Say bwehn trah-BAH-hoh. The ue in buen creates a smooth glide, and the stress in trabajo falls on the second syllable.
¡Buen trabajo en la presentación de hoy!
Good job on today's presentation!
Good Job in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for good job, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| buen trabajo | good job | bwehn trah-BAH-hoh | Default, widely understood |
| bien hecho | good job | well done — more casual | |
| ¡Muy bien! | good job | very good! — common praise |
How Native Speakers Use Buen Trabajo
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Praising at work
Buen trabajo con el informe, quedó muy claro.
Good job on the report, it turned out very clear.
Buen trabajo is the standard professional praise, appropriate in both casual and formal workplaces.
Encouraging a child
¡Muy bien, hijo! Terminaste toda tu tarea.
Very good, son! You finished all your homework.
¡Muy bien! is the most natural way to praise children in Spanish.
Casual compliment among friends
¡Bien hecho! Ese gol fue increíble.
Well done! That goal was amazing.
Bien hecho works as a casual exclamation of praise among friends and peers.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Buen Trabajo
Saying buen job as Spanglish
Incorrect: ¡Buen job hoy!
Correct: ¡Buen trabajo hoy!
Mixing English and Spanish by saying buen job is Spanglish and not appropriate in standard speech. The full Spanish phrase is buen trabajo.
Using bueno trabajo instead of buen
Incorrect: Bueno trabajo en el proyecto.
Correct: Buen trabajo en el proyecto.
The adjective bueno drops its final -o when it precedes a masculine singular noun, becoming buen. Saying bueno trabajo is ungrammatical, though listeners would likely understand.
Lock in Good Job Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Buen Trabajo used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using buen trabajo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¡Buen trabajo en la presentación de hoy! while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Good Job in Spanish
- How do you say good job in Spanish?
- Good job in Spanish is buen trabajo. Other common ways to praise someone include bien hecho (well done) and ¡Muy bien! (very good!). The choice depends on context and how formal the situation is.
- What is the difference between buen trabajo and bien hecho?
- Buen trabajo focuses on the quality of the work itself, while bien hecho emphasizes that the action was performed well. In practice, both are interchangeable as praise, though buen trabajo sounds slightly more professional.
- How do Spanish-speaking teachers praise students?
- Teachers commonly use ¡Muy bien! (very good!), ¡Excelente! (excellent!), and ¡Perfecto! (perfect!). Buen trabajo is also used for completed assignments or projects. Each phrase provides positive reinforcement in a classroom setting.