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The conversational phrase nice try can be used ironically when someone is trying to cheat you or play a trick on you. For instance.

-"You'll double your money in a month if you invest in this scheme."

-"Hah! Nice try, pal, but I wasn't born yesterday."

-"Tu vas doubler votre argent en un mois si tu investis dans ce plan."

-"Hah ! Bien essayé, mon pote, mais je ne suis pas né de la dernière pluie."

Does bien essayé convey the ironic meaning of nice try?

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  • I don't see any irony in "nice try" nor in "bien essayé".
    – Stef
    Jan 24 at 9:36

2 Answers 2

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Yes, bien essayé ! or I believe the better bien tenté ! convey that meaning.

Bien tenté mon gars, mais t'as fait un flop !

Bien joué ! can also be used ironically in this context.

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Oui, comme on dit ailleurs, « bien essayé » (Larousse en ligne anglais-français le donne pour « good try »). J'aime bien aussi « (un) bel effort » que je dirais assez naturellement dans ce genre de contexte...

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