How to Say “Good Job” in Japanese

Translation is an artwork, quite than a science, and in some instances there isn’t an actual replica of a phrase or word in different languages.

That is very true for Japanese and English, two languages with very other origins and two very other approaches to grammar and meaning.

For example, let’s imagine the English word “just right activity” and the Japanese word 「よく出来ました。」 (yoku dekimashita).
 

How do you are saying “just right activity” in Japanese?

The way in which to say “just right activity” in Japanese is 「よく出来ました。」(yoku dekimashita). Damaged down, this word is made up of よく (yoku), the continuative type of the adjective よい (yoi, “just right”) and 出来ました(dekimashita), the previous nerve-racking conjugation of the verb 出来ます (dekimasu, “to be ready to do”).

It’s needless to upload the phrase “you” or “are” explicitly, as they’ll be understood in context. If you wish to have to be extra informal, you’ll be able to say 「よく出来た。」 (yoku dekita) or 「よくやった。」 (yoku yatta) as a substitute.
 

「よく出来ました。」 (yoku dekimashita): Japanese for “Just right activity”

Absent every other context, the Japanese sentence 「よく出来ました。」 (yoku dekimashita) is in most cases used to mean “just right activity.”

This sentence makes use of よく, the continuative or conjunctive type of the phrase for “just right,” and 出来ました, the previous nerve-racking of the verb meaning “to be ready to do.”

Taken actually, then, this sentence simply implies that any individual used to be ready to do one thing and that it used to be completed neatly.

If the context of a dialog made it transparent that this used to be being stated a few 3rd birthday celebration, “he did a just right activity” or “she did a just right activity” may also be a just right translation.

Usually, on the other hand, that is used to inform any individual that they did a just right activity on one thing.

That is in fact equivalent to the English word “just right activity,” which may extra absolutely be spelled out as “You probably did a just right activity.”

Examples

That is most probably a small baby speaking to their mom. The mum’s reaction is well mannered and inspiring.

This seems like one thing a instructor would say when passing homework or a faculty project again to the category.

The phrase “just right”: From いい (ii) to よい (yoi) to よく (yoku)

In the event you’re most effective somewhat acquainted with Japanese, you could have realized that the phrase for just right is いい (ii).

So what’s up with よく meaning just right right here?

In truth, いい is the colloquial, spoken type of よい, which is the true phrase for “just right” in Japanese.

This doesn’t mean you will have to get started swapping out いい for よい in informal dialog (until you wish to have to sound such as you’re in a samurai movie, in which case opt for it!).

Then again, it implies that in maximum instances the phrase you’ll see getting used to mean “just right,” and the phrase this is changed grammatically, is よい quite than いい. よい has a kanji shape (良い) however it isn’t used in many of the conjugations, so it’s now not related right here.

Once we arrive at よい, the よく is an more straightforward step. It’s merely the continuative shape (or conjunctive) type of this い-adjective, the shape used to attach the phrase to some other.

Can do: how to use 出来ます (dekimasu)

The phrase 出来ます (dekimasu) is a verb that suggests “to be ready to do.”

The kanji listed here are 出, meaning to go out or to pop out, and 来, meaning to come or the reason.

Figuring out the kanji can also be helpful to remembering the phrase, however understand that the phrase does now not actually mean that one thing is arriving after exiting.

As a substitute, 出来ます simply implies that any individual is ready to do one thing.

The word よく出来ました is speaking about one thing that already took place, so we want to use the previous nerve-racking of the verb by means of shedding ます to get the basis shape でき after which including ました.

This leaves us with 出来ました (dekimashita) or “used to be ready to do.”

Announcing “just right activity” casually with よく出来た (yoku dekita) and よくやった (yoku yatta)

In maximum, if now not all, instances,「よく出来ました。」is the best method to say “just right activity” in Japanese. It’s in a well mannered, however now not overly formal, sign up, suitable to be used with with regards to any individual.

However what in case you’re with buddies and don’t need to appear stuffy?

If that’s the case, check out attaining for the extra informal「よく出来た。」(yoku dekita). This word will have to glance acquainted, because it is similar with the exception of for the use of the casual previous nerve-racking of 出来ます.

「よくやった。」 (yoku yatta) is some other informal possibility.

Not like the opposite two words we’ve reviewed, this one makes use of the casual previous nerve-racking of やります, a verb meaning “to do.”

If 「よく出来た。」is “just right activity,” then, you may bring to mind 「よくやった。」as “neatly completed.” In apply, regardless that, those words are used interchangeably.

You’ll be able to additionally say the extra well mannered 「よくやりました。」 (yoku yarimashita) and be understood, however in most cases this model of “just right activity” is most effective observed the use of the casual previous nerve-racking.

Examples

As with our earlier parent-child instance, this can be a discussion between a father or mother and a tender baby.

Right here, the daddy makes use of よくやった as a substitute of よく出来ました, however the meaning isn’t actually any much less encouraging. It would simply counsel that the daddy is extra informal when talking together with his kids than the mum.

This can be a lovely informal dialog, most probably between buddies. The じゃん (jan) in the reaction is a shortened model of じゃない (ja nai), so that is actually nearer to “Oh, you probably did a just right activity in spite of everything, didn’t you?”

However that’s a mouthful, and translating it that actually would lose the informal nature of the Japanese.

The loss of a query mark additionally suggests this isn’t a real query such a lot as a rhetorical one.