You're doing a good job

Question

I know, simple right - but what is the best way to say this, most natural.

Trabajas bien.

Haces buen trabajo.

Haces un buen trabajo.

Estás haciendo un buen trabajo.

I think it's

Que estás haciendo un buen trabajo

Context: Say a little boy was using a fork for the first time, or a friend of yours was trying to do something he was previously scared of, say climb a ladder, or a girl was talking to people even though she was shy, you want to say "you're doing a good job".

Esta usted, haciendo un buen trabajo (labor) - eikoe27, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 1

Interesting you should ask this question, Jeezzle. This evening I heard a mother tell her young child who was trying to eat an elote without getting it all over his face "Haces un buen trabajo".

She didn't say "Que haces"? I think "Haces un buen trabajo" or "Que Haces un buen trabajo" is the best way. - jeezzle, Jan 21, 2012

Nope, nothing with a "que" in this exchange. She looked proudly at her son and said, very tenderly "Haces un buen trabajo". - mountaingirl123, Jan 21, 2012

Answer 2

I agree with Mountain's comment.

You gave four perfectly good options, and then you for some reason chose a fifth one that is completely wrong. Why "que"??

If you're looking for natural, given the particular examples you offered I'd say:

¡Bien hecho!

¡Buen trabajo!

¡Lo hiciste muy bien! (particularly to a young kid).

exacto, no usaríamos la palabra trabajo en absoluto - 00494d19, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 3

If you are commenting on the action while it´s taking place or directly at the end, then simply ¡Muy bien! is very common.

After the action has finished, ¡Lo hiciste muy bien! is also very common.

claro que sí, como siempre mi admirado julian:) - 00494d19, Jan 22, 2012

Prefiero ser tu amada, mi reina - 005faa61, Jan 22, 2012

o.0 - unMica, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 4

You can say:

Tengo un buen trabajo

Haces un buen trabajo/hiciste un buen trabajo con estos zapatos.

But when you want to say "well done!"/"good job!" = (muy) bien hecho!

Answer 5

exacto, no usaríamos la palabra trabajo en absoluto

So we never use the word trabajo? Ever, in a situation like this? I think both Haces un buen trabajo and Muy bien hecho are the best options but I'm curious now.

I think Heidita meant it in relation to my comment "for a young kid". Your boss might say: "buen trabajo, Jeezle", and that's fine. But to your nephew, who just successfully tied his shoes for the first time you'd say: ¡bien hecho!, or ¡muy bien! - Gekkosan, Jan 22, 2012

exactly, not to a kid, como dijo gekko, gracias gekko - 00494d19, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 6

So we never use the word trabajo? Ever, in a situation like this? I think both Haces un buen trabajo and Muy bien hecho are the best options but I'm curious now.

trabajo

Word for word translations often run into problems because words have many meanings in both languages, but rarely the same ones just because they agree in one instance.

"Buen trabajo." and "Bien hecho." don't mean the same thing even though they both translate to "Good job." in English.

So yes or no, what say you. - jeezzle, Jan 22, 2012

Based on that link I would say yes. - jeezzle, Jan 22, 2012

Definitely no. - lorenzo9, Jan 22, 2012