How do you say "You did well." in Japanese?

"You did well." in Japanese is "よくがんばったね。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘You did well.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "よくがんばったね。" mean in English?

"よくがんばったね。" means "You did well." in English. Usage tip: This is a kind, encouraging phrase meaning “You really did your best.” It praises effort and endurance, not just results.

よくがんばったね。

yoku ganbatsu ta ne

[yoh-koo gahn-baht tah neh]

💬 Usage Tip: This is a kind, encouraging phrase meaning “You really did your best.” It praises effort and endurance, not just results.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This phrase can feel very comforting in Japan, where effort is highly valued. It is a nice emotional hug in sentence form.

Phrase Breakdown

よく

yoku

[yoh-koo]

well

Used here to praise someone: you really did well.

Example

よくがんばったね。

You really did your best.

がんばったね

ganbatsu ta ne

you worked hard; you did your best

Past form of がんばる with ね, used to praise someone’s effort warmly.

Example

がんばったね。

You did your best.

Words in this phrase

がんばっ

ganbatsu

[gahn-baht]

did your best

From がんばる; means tried hard or persevered.

Example

よくがんばったね。

You really did your best.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

Marks the verb as past tense in casual form.

Example

よくがんばったね。

You really did your best.

ね

[neh]

isn’t it; right

Adds kindness and emotional warmth.

Example

よくがんばったね。

You really did your best.

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