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.
Nice!
Slangy, from English 'good job'. Used in very casual, often playful contexts.
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.
Good job today.
Polite way to say 'well done', often used by teachers or superiors to praise a specific task.
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.
Praising a child or student for doing something well, often in an educational or parenting context.
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.
Good job, manager.
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).
Good job on the report!
Good job, everyone!
You did a good job cleaning your room.
Wonderful job.