How do you say WELL DONE in Italian?

How many ways are there to say well done in Italian?

In this lesson, we will take a look at the different ways you can translate this sentence. Read on to learn them all!

Let’s get started! Iniziamo!

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How do you say well done in Italian?

Ben fatto

Ben fatto is the most common way to say well done in Italian.

Ben fatto!
Well done!

Ben fatto è meglio di ben detto.
Well done is better than well said.

Ben fatto! I tuoi genitori devono essere orgogliosi di te.
Well done! Your parents must be proud of you.

people congratulating a woman with a bouquet of flowers in her hands

Bravo! Brava! Bravi! Brave!

Bravo is an adjective used in Italian to mean able, good at something. There’s a good chance you’re already familiar with this word and have even used it yourself.

Like all other adjectives in Italian, bravo must match its noun in both number and gender. This is why it has four different forms.

SingularPlural
MasculineBravoBravi
FeminineBravaBrave

Bravo!
Well done! (singular, masculine)

Brava!
Well done! (singular, feminine)

Bravi!
Well done! (plural, masculine)

Brave!
Well done! (plural, feminine)

people applauding at the theater

If a man is good, you will say bravo because man, uomo, is a masculine noun in Italian.

Likewise, if you’re talking about a woman, donna, you will say brava, which is a feminine noun.

Plural nouns behave the same way: if you want to describe a group of good children (masculine plural), use bravi. If you’re talking about some good girls (feminine plural), use brave instead.

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Ottimo lavoro

You can also translate well done in Italian as ottimo lavoro, which literally means “excellent job”.

Ottimo lavoro!
Excellent job!

Ottimo lavoro, ragazzi. Le vendite sono aumentate del 150%.
Well done, guys. Sales have increased by 150%.

Hai fatto davvero un ottimo lavoro. Grazie mille!
You did a really good job. Thank you very much!

man giving a thumbs up

The literal translation of good is buono.
You DO NOT say buon lavoro in Italian to congratulate someone on a job well done.
Buon lavoro is used to encourage people who are about to start a project or a day’s work, something similar to have a good day at work.

Aiuta Lingookies con un 👍!


Complimenti! Congratulazioni!

Complimenti literally means compliments and can be used to translate congratulations or well done in Italian.

Complimenti!
Congratulations!
(Compliments)

Congratulazioni!
Congratulations!

Congratulazioni is often used on special occasions, such as when a couple decides to get married, when you get your dream job, or when you graduate from high school or college. It’s often followed by a round of cheers.

Ti sei appena sposato? Congratulazioni!
Did you just get married? Congratulations!

Congratulazioni per il magnifico lavoro!
Congratulations for a wonderful job!

man applauding

Ottimo! Eccellente!

Ottimo and eccellente are two adjectives that can both be translated as excellent. If you want to congratulate someone on a job well done, you can use one of them and you will make the person very happy!

Unlike bravo, you don’t need to memorize any other forms to translate well done.

Ottimo!
Excellent!

Eccellente!
Excellent!

And that’s the end of our lesson on how to say well done in Italian in all its forms!


What next?

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