Translation guide
Expressing praise for a job well done in Japanese, from casual to formal settings.
Praising someone informally for a great job or achievement.
すごいね、よくできたね。
That's great, you did a good job.
Borrowed from English 'nice', used casually to mean 'nice job' or 'great'.
ナイス！その調子！
Nice! Keep it up!
Praising a colleague or subordinate formally for excellent work.
Literally 'you must be tired', but used as a standard phrase to acknowledge someone's hard work. Often said at the end of a task or workday.
今日はお疲れ様でした。素晴らしい仕事でした。
Thank you for your hard work today. It was great work.
Directly means 'great work'. Polite and suitable for formal praise.
素晴らしい仕事ですね。
That's great work.
Polite form of 'well done'. Often used by teachers or superiors.
皆さん、よくできました。
Everyone, great work.
Expressing admiration for an exceptional piece of work, art, or accomplishment.
Means 'masterpiece'. Used for outstanding works of art, literature, or any exceptional creation.
これは傑作だ。
This is a masterpiece.
Refers to a work that shows great effort and skill, a 'painstaking work' or 'tour de force'.
Means 'famous work' or 'classic'. Used for well-known, highly regarded works.
Praising someone's work so far and encouraging them to keep going.
Means 'keep it up' or 'that's the way'. Used to encourage someone to continue their good work.
その調子！いい仕事してるね。
Keep it up! You're doing great work.
Casual encouragement: 'Good, keep going'.
いいね、続けて。
Great, keep it up.
お疲れ様 is a set phrase acknowledging effort, used even if the result isn't perfect. よくやった directly praises the outcome. Use お疲れ様 for routine thanks, よくやった for specific achievements.
Directly translating 'great work' as 偉大な仕事 (idai na shigoto) sounds unnatural and overly grandiose. Stick to the phrases above.
彼の最新作は力作だ。
His latest work is a great piece of work.
この映画は名作です。
This movie is a great work.