French · Greetings & Essentials

"Well done!" in French: bravo ! / bien joué !

bravo ! / bien joué !

Say it: bra-VOH / byan zhoo-AYinterjection/bʁa.vo/ /bjɛ̃ ʒwe/

Well done! in French is bravo ! or bien joué ! Bravo is quick applause; bien joué fits games and clever moves. Keep the whole praise phrase.

After a match

Bien joué ! Tu as marqué deux fois.
Well done! You scored twice.
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How to pronounce bravo ! / bien joué !

Say it

bra-VOH / byan zhoo-AY

/bʁa.vo/ /bjɛ̃ ʒwe/

Bravo: bra-VOH. Bien joué: byan zhoo-AY. Soft j like zh.

"Well done!" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
bravo !well done! / bravo!

Quick praise.

bien joué !well played! / well done!

Games and smart moves.

bravo à toiwell done to you

Personal cheer.

félicitationscongratulations

Bigger achievements.

How to use bravo ! / bien joué ! in real life

  1. 1After a match

    Bien joué ! Tu as marqué deux fois.

    Well done! You scored twice.

    Bien joué.

  2. 2Exam results

    Bravo ! Tu as eu la mention.

    Well done! You got honors.

    Bravo.

  3. 3Cooking win

    Bravo, ce gâteau est réussi.

    Well done—this cake turned out great.

    Bravo + compliment.

Mistakes English speakers make with bravo ! / bien joué !

Incorrect: Well done !

Correct: Bravo ! / Bien joué !

Use French praise phrases.

Incorrect: Bonne joué !

Correct: Bien joué !

The set phrase is bien joué.

Good to know

Bravo works almost anywhere; bien joué shines after sports or witty comebacks. For diplomas, félicitations sounds more formal than a casual bravo.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Board game night

  1. ChatPal

    Tu as bloqué mon coup. Bien joué !

    You blocked my move. Well done!

  2. You

    Bravo à toi aussi pour le début.

    Well done to you too for the opening.

  3. ChatPal

    Allez, encore une manche. Bravo d'avance si tu gagnes.

    Come on, one more round. Bravo in advance if you win.

  4. You

    On verra. À toi.

    We'll see. Your turn.

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"Well done!" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Well done!" in French

How do you say well done in French?

Bravo ! or bien joué !

When do I use bien joué?

Games, sports, clever plays.

Is bravo formal?

It works in most casual settings.

How do you pronounce bien joué?

byan zhoo-AY.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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