Translation guide
How to praise someone for a job well done in Japanese, from casual to formal.
Casual, borrowed from English 'nice'. Often used in sports or quick praise.
ナイス！
Nice!
Slangy, from English 'good job'. Used in very casual, often playful contexts.
グッジョブ！
Good job!
Praising someone in a polite or formal setting, such as at work or with acquaintances.
Standard polite phrase acknowledging someone's hard work. Used at work, after a task, or when leaving the office.
今日はお疲れ様です。
Good job today.
Polite way to say 'well done', often used by teachers or superiors to praise a specific task.
プレゼン、よくできました。
You did a good job on the presentation.
Means 'wonderful' or 'splendid'. Can be used to praise a job well done, but is a general compliment.
Acknowledging the effort someone put into a task, not just the result.
Casual way to say 'you worked hard' or 'you did your best'. Focuses on effort.
試験、頑張ったね。
You worked hard for the exam. Good job.
Polite past tense of お疲れ様です, used after a task is completed or at the end of the day.
プロジェクト、お疲れ様でした。
Good job on the project.
Praising a child or student for doing something well, often in an educational or parenting context.
Common phrase to praise a child for doing something skillfully. 'You did it well!'
絵が上手にできたね。
You did a good job on the drawing.
Means 'you're great' or 'good for you'. Used to praise a child's behavior or effort.
一人でできて、えらいね。
You did it by yourself, good job!
お疲れ様です is a set phrase for acknowledging effort in a polite context, while よくやった is a direct 'good job' used casually. Using よくやった with a superior can sound rude.
部長、お疲れ様です。
Good job, manager.
よくやった！
Good job! (to a friend)
The literal translation '良い仕事' (yoi shigoto) is not used as a standalone phrase to praise someone. It sounds unnatural and may be interpreted as 'a good job' (as in a good occupation).
レポート、よくできました。
Good job on the report!
皆さん、お疲れ様でした。
Good job, everyone!
部屋の掃除、よくやったね。
You did a good job cleaning your room.
素晴らしい仕事ですね。
Wonderful job.