By
Last updated:
March 20, 2023
There’s a lot that’s très bon (very good) about France and its language.
French cuisine is unrivaled, French cafés and museums draw millions of visitors, and France has made its mark with writers like Victor Hugo and Albert Camus.
Très bien just doesn’t capture it all, though.
Learning several French adjectives for “very good” will allow you to more precisely describe France’s food, art, literature and anything else you find particularly fantastique (fantastic).
Contents
- Words to Describe Overall Value
-
- Très bon (Very good)
- Formidable (Great, Wonderful)
- Merveilleux / Merveilleuse (Wonderful)
- Génial / Géniale (Great, Amazing)
- Inouï (Unheard of, Unprecedented)
- Shared Words in French and English
-
- Excellent / Excellente (Excellent)
- Extraordinaire (Extraordinary)
- Fantastique (Fantastic)
- Magnifique (Magnificent)
- Words to Describe Character Traits
-
- Gentil (Kind)
- Attentionné (Caring)
- Compatissant (Compassionate)
- Juste (Just, Righteous)
- Vertueux (Virtuous)
- Words to Describe Beauty
-
- Beau (Lovely, Handsome, Beautiful)
- Joli (Pretty)
- Attrayant / Attrayante (Attractive)
- Mignon / Mignonne (Cute)
- Ravissant (Delightful, Charming)
- Séduisant (Seductive, Enticing)
- Informal Synonyms for “Very Good”
-
- Chouette (Cool)
- Épatant / Épatante (Splendid)
- Sympa (Nice)
- Super (Super)
- Chic (Nice, Classy)
- 3 Rules to Remember When Using French Adjectives
-
- 1. French adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify
- 2. French adjectives must agree in number with the noun they modify
- 3. Most French adjectives follow the noun
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Words to Describe Overall Value
When you think about it, “good” can mean many things, including morality (i.e., a good person), beauty (i.e., you look good) and quality (i.e., a good book).
Learning a variety of precise adjectives will help you communicate more effectively and stop saying the same two or three adjectives over and over again.
We’ll start by going over some general adjectives that describe the quality or value of an object, activity, idea or person.
Très bon (Very good)
This is a very common adjective, and probably one of the first you ever learned in French. You should definitely keep it in your repertoire, but we’ll teach you many synonyms to diversify your vocabulary.
Note that to make bon feminine, you must double the last consonant, then add –e → bonne
Très (very) and vraiment (really) may be employed with many adjectives to strengthen its meaning, as in:
Il est vraiment génial ! (He’s really great!)
You’ve probably also encountered a similar phrase, très bien (very well).
Be careful, though, because bien is an adverb, not an adjective. For those of you who aren’t so grammar-savvy, just recall that an adjective modifies a person, place or thing, while an adverb modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb.
In other words, très bon characterizes the quality of something, while très bien describes how something is done.
Compare:
J’adore ce livre ! Il est très bon. (I love this book! It’s very good.)
J’adore ce livre ! Il est très bien écrit. (I love this book! It’s very well written.)
Très bien may also be used on its own as a synonym for d’accord (okay), as in:
Je vais rentrer un peu tard ce soir, je dois faire les courses. (I’ll return a little late tonight. I need to go shopping.)
Très bien (Very well).
Formidable (Great, Wonderful)
See this word in action with the song “Formidable” by Belgian musician Stromae. As with much of modern music, the topic is a relationship that seemed formidable, but just didn’t work out. English subtitles are included!
Merveilleux / Merveilleuse (Wonderful)
As you’ve noticed, some of these words have very similar meanings. Don’t worry too much about trying to find subtle differences. They’re generally interchangeable!
Génial / Géniale (Great, Amazing)
Il est génial ! (It’s great!)
Inouï (Unheard of, Unprecedented)
We’re focusing on positive adjectives, but keep in mind that this one could have a positive or negative connotation.
La bombe atomique était d’une violence inouïe. (The atomic bomb was of unprecedented violence.)
Sample conversation using adjectives of value and quality
Ça va ? (How are you?)
Ça va très bien ! (I’m doing very well.)
Comment ça ? (How so?)
J’ai reçu une note géniale à l’examen de la semaine dernière. (I received a great grade on last week’s exam.)
Formidable ! Quel cours ? (Wonderful! Which class?)
Anglais ! C’est inouï. D’habitude c’est le cours le plus difficile pour moi. (English! It’s unprecedented. It’s usually the most difficult class for me.)
Shared Words in French and English
If you’ve been playing the French learning game for any period of time, you’ve certainly run into words that mean the same thing in French and English with identical or almost identical spelling, like une pizza (a pizza). These are called cognates.
Be careful, though, as looks can be deceiving. There are also words in French that sound like a particular English word, but actually mean something quite different. These are called faux amis (false friends).
Here are some common French synonyms for “very good” that are almost exactly the same as their English counterparts. Use them as you’d use them in English.
Excellent / Excellente (Excellent)
Le film est excellent. (The movie is excellent).
Extraordinaire (Extraordinary)
La mise en scène est extraordinaire. (The production is extraordinary.)
Fantastique (Fantastic)
La musique est fantastique. (The music is fantastic.)
Magnifique (Magnificent)
L’histoire est magnifique. (The story is magnificent.)
Although translated as “magnificent,” a more accurate definition of the word magnifique is “wonderful.”
Words to Describe Character Traits
Thus far, we’ve examined words with broad usage. Magnifique may describe your sister, a video game, a bouquet of flowers or just about anything else you find especially great.
Now, let’s examine a more specific nuance of “good,” as in moral goodness.
These words pertain to positive aspects of personality, such as generosity or capacity for empathy. Therefore, you wouldn’t use them to talk about objects, only about people and possibly animals.
Keep in mind that we’re only covering positive adjectives here. Unfortunately, not everyone is kind and compassionate, so check out this article for more tips on how to describe people.
Gentil (Kind)
The last consonant doubles to form the feminine form gentille .
Ses parents sont gentils. (Her parents are nice.)
Attentionné (Caring)
Elle est si attentionnée qu’elle est bénévole dans une maison de retraite. (She is so caring that she’s a volunteer at a retirement home.)
Compatissant (Compassionate)
Elle est compatissante. Par exemple, elle est toujours prête à écouter si j’ai besoin de parler. (She is compassionate. For example, she is always ready to listen if I need to talk.)
Juste (Just, Righteous)
This is the strongest word in French for moral goodness.
Vertueux (Virtuous)
Tout le monde dit que c’est une jeune femme vertueuse. (Everyone says that she’s a virtuous young woman.)
A Green Mouse is a site that offers lessons and short stories for children learning French or Spanish. But whether you’re nine or 99, you might find this story video using character-trait adjectives helpful.
Words to Describe Beauty
“Good” may also refer to a pleasing physical appearance. We see this shade of meaning in the English phrase, “you look good.”
However, when you want to be more precise (or maybe score a date), you might want to try something new.
Beau (Lovely, Handsome, Beautiful)
When beau comes directly before a vowel or an –h (this letter is never pronounced in French), the spelling changes to bel , so that there aren’t two distinct vowel sounds right next to each other.
Un bel homme (A handsome man)
The feminine form of beau, belle , has a significantly different spelling, but it’s the same adjective.
Il a une belle famille. (He has a beautiful family.)
Joli (Pretty)
Sa femme est jolie. (His wife is pretty.)
Attrayant / Attrayante (Attractive)
Les filles à l’école trouvent l’autre fils attrayant. (The girls at school find the other son attractive.)
Mignon / Mignonne (Cute)
Son fils de cinq ans est si mignon. (His five-year-old son is so cute.)
Ravissant (Delightful, Charming)
L’aînée est ravissante et drôle. (The oldest daughter is charming and funny.)
Séduisant (Seductive, Enticing)
This word is related to the English word “seductive,” but it doesn’t always carry sexual overtones. It could refer to charm or attraction more generally. When used with objects, séduisant has the nuance of allure or temptation.
Une femme séduisante (a seductive woman)
Une offre séduisante (an enticing offer)
Informal Synonyms for “Very Good”
When you engage in conversation with native French speakers, especially younger ones, you’ll probably encounter informal words and phrases you don’t find in most textbooks.
There’s a world of difference between la langue de Molière (the language of Molière, a famous French author) and la langue verte (slang). Here are some casual words related to “very good.”
Chouette (Cool)
Une chouette is a type of owl, but the adjective chouette means “cool.” After all, owls are pretty cool!
Que penses-tu du musée ? (What do you think of the museum?)
C’est chouette ! (It’s cool!)
Épatant / Épatante (Splendid)
Les tableaux sont épatants. (The paintings are splendid.)
Sympa (Nice)
Like the English counterpart “nice,” sympa is a broad, vague term that can describe people or things.
This colloquialism is a shortened form of sympathique , so there are no number or gender changes if you’re using the informal form.
Le guide est sympa. (The guide is nice.)
Super (Super)
This adjective is invariable, meaning there are no gender or number spelling changes.
Mon tableau préféré est celui de Chagall. Les couleurs sont super ! (My favorite painting is that of Chagall. The colors are super!)
Chic (Nice, Classy)
The plural form for both genders is chics. There’s no singular feminine form.
Sans doute, c’était chic d’y aller. (Without a doubt, it was nice to go there.)
3 Rules to Remember When Using French Adjectives
Now that you know several new French adjectives, let’s review three grammatical rules to remember when using such words in context.
Adjectives are descriptive words, such as rouge (red), difficile (difficult) or délicieux (delicious). Not so intimidating, right?
There are, nevertheless, a few differences between English adjectives and French adjectives.
1. French adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify
Recall that all French nouns are either masculine or feminine, including objects and abstract concepts. Likewise, adjectives have masculine and feminine forms.
The spelling you find in a dictionary or vocabulary list is the masculine form, which means there won’t be any ending change if you employ that adjective with a masculine noun.
To form the feminine spelling, you simply modify the ending of the masculine adjective.
The most common changes include:
Adding an –e
Grand (big) → grande
If the masculine form already ends in –e, no change is made.
Formidable (great) is the masculine and feminine form.
Doubling the consonant, then adding –e
Mignon (cute) → mignonne
Changing –er to –ère
Étranger (foreign) → étrangère
Changing –eux to –euse
Nerveux (nervous) → nerveuse
Changing –eau to –elle
Beau (beautiful, handsome) → belle
Changing –c to –che
Blanc (white) → blanche
That covers just about all the adjectives on our list today and the majority of those in French!
2. French adjectives must agree in number with the noun they modify
Just as a noun may be singular or plural, so too can an adjective. Singular adjectives accompany singular nouns, and plural adjectives accompany plural nouns.
To form most plural forms, simply add –s to the singular adjective form, whether masculine or feminine.
Excellent (Excellent) → Excellents
Excellente → Excellentes
However, masculine nouns ending in –al change to –aux.
National (National) → Nationaux
Masculine nouns ending in –eau change to –eaux.
Nouveau (New) → Nouveaux
No changes occur for adjectives already ending in –s or –x.
Bas (Bow) and doux (soft) are the singular and plural forms.
To see more examples, check out these free online lessons about regular adjective formation and agreement with irregular adjectives.
3. Most French adjectives follow the noun
This is quite different from English, where the adjective always goes before the word it modifies.
For example, “a red car” becomes une voiture rouge (a car red) in French.
But in all languages, there are always exceptions. In fact, some of the simplest, most common French adjectives precede the noun. The good news is that there’s a helpful mnemonic that covers the majority of these adjectives: BAGS.
Beauty: beau/belle (beautiful), joli (pretty)
Age: vieux (old), jeune (young)
Goodness: bon (good), gentil (kind)
Size: petit (small), grand (big)
Since this article is all about words that mean “very good,” there are several that do precede the noun, especially if they’re short (one or two syllables). As you keep practicing French, you’ll get more accustomed to seeing adjectives in different places.
With the list of adjectives above, you’re now well on your way to using the many variations of “very good” in French accurately and effectively.
Hopefully, you can now use some of them to describe this article!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.
très bonne qualité et livraison gratuite rapide very good quality and fast free shipping
очень хорошее качество и быстрая бесплатная доставка very good quality and fast free shipping
Le produit est très bon courrier bientôt Product is very good courier soon
Продукт очень хороший курьер в ближайшее время Product is very good courier soon
À l’issue du processus d’évaluation, les immeubles peuvent obtenir l’une des certifications suivantes : Pass, Good, Very Good ou Outstanding.
Объект сертификации может получить один из следующих сертификатов BREEAM: Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent и Outstanding.
La foule australienne lui criait: Very good!
Австралийские толпы кричат: Very good!
La foule australienne lui criait: « Very good!
Австралийские толпы кричат: «Very good!
8 « Very good user » Vous avez une très bonne maîtrise de la langue.
Очень хороший пользователь (Very good user): полностью владеет языком.
Le bâtiment a obtenu la certification BREEAM, niveau « VERY GOOD ».
Комплекс апартаментов проходит двухконтурную сертификацию BREEAM на уровне «VERY GOOD».
Jai recommandé, cest très bien — I recommmed, its very good
Я рекомендовал, его очень хорошо — I recommmed, its very good
«Très bien — Very good«
‘Very good‘ — «Очень хороший (очень хорошо)»
Début du tournage de Very Good Girls
Elizabeth Olsen et Boyd Holdbrook se sont rencontrés sur le tournage du film Very Good Girls en 2012.
Напомним, Элизабет Олсен и Бойд Холбрук познакомились в 2012 году, во время съемок фильма «Очень хорошие девочки».
La bébé Rachel du film « La Guerre des Mondes, » a grandit depuis longtemps et a réussi à jouer dans des films tels que « Maintenant ou jamais«, « Very Good Girls » et d’autres.
Малышка Рэйчел из фильма «Война миров» давно уже выросла и успела сняться в таких фильмах, как «Сейчас самое время», «Очень хорошие девочки» и др.
Dakota Fanning et Elizabeth Olsen sont des Very Good Girls
Дакота Фэннинг и Элизабет Олсен станут «Очень хорошими девочками»
Very Good Building Company va finir l’année fiscale de 2022 avec d’excellents résultats financiers, grâce en majorité à l’intendance de votre président, Ron Swanson.
«Очень хорошая строительная компания» закончит 2022-й фискальный год в отличной финансовой форме, во многом благодаря мастерству вашего руководителя Рона Свонсона.
Le serveur me dit que j’ai fait un very good choice.
Продавец сказала, что я сделала удачный выбор.
Engagez Very Good Building Company pour vos besoins en construction.
Il était tout à fait alerte mentalement lorsque nous l’avons vu et il était de très bonne humeur (He was in very good physical condition.
Он был в хорошем психологическом тонусе, когда мы его осматривали, и в очень хорошем настроении.
Результатов: 20. Точных совпадений: 20. Затраченное время: 49 мс
Documents
Корпоративные решения
Спряжение
Синонимы
Корректор
Справка и о нас
Индекс слова: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900
Индекс выражения: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
Индекс фразы: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
I’m very good at that, but there are some risks to surgery.
C’est très gentil de votre part de le dire, Monsieur Sandbach.
I have been told I am very good at bugging people.
On m’a dit que j’était vraiment bon pour casser les pieds des gens.
It’s very good of you to spare her. It won’t kill me.
Il est aussi doué avec les chevaux.
He’s not very good but they’re
good
together, you know.
Il n’est pas très doué, mais ensemble, ça fonctionne
très
bien.
Alec here is taking very good care of me, he knows his stuff!
Il est doué, très rigoureux.
It’s very good of you to bring this back… even without the money.
C’est très gentil de l’avoir rapporté. -Même sans l’argent.
I don’t think you would be very good at that.
They’re very good at this sort of thing, you know.
Pas doué pour les indices verbaux, n’est-ce pas?
You’re very good with those word puzzles, Mr. Dury.
Vous êtes doué en mots croisés, M. Dury.
It’s very good to see him out of the hospital.
Je n’ai jamais été vraiment bon, pour être un humain, monsieur.
It is a very good value for money in the center of Paris.
C’est un tres bon rapport qualité prix en plein centre de Paris.
He was
very good,
though. He was very good to me.
Results: 14722,
Time: 0.0719
English
—
French
French
—
English
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The fact that we will be putting more emphasis on diplomacy and development is also very good. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Il est �galement tr�s bien que l’on mette davantage l’accent sur la diplomatie et sur le d�veloppement. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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This is a very good approach today, […] a good attitude, but the details must also be expanded upon in an adequate manner. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
C‘est une tr�s bonne approche � l’heure […] actuelle, une bonne attitude, mais les d�tails doivent �galement �tre d�velopp�s de mani�re ad�quate. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
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My third point is that we had a very good dialogue with all the institutions. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
Ma troisi�me remarque est que […] des institutions. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
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Safety performance of the rail transport mode in […] with its main competitor, road transport. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
Le niveau de s�curit� des transports ferroviaires en […] avec le principal concurrent, […] � savoir les transports routiers. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
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This generated some very good group discussions. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
Il en a r�sult� de tr�s bonnes discussions de groupe. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
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Even with difficult work and very tiring hours, […] when there is complete harmony between master and dog, a mutual recognition, it’s a […] euro-cordiale.lu euro-cordiale.lu |
M�me avec une t�che et des horaires parfois difficiles et tr�s fatigants, quand il y a […] v�ritablement une osmose entre le ma�tre et le chien, une reconnaissance mutuelle, c’est un […] euro-cordiale.lu euro-cordiale.lu |
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The fact that we could go home early […] antarcticstation.org antarcticstation.org |
C’�tait la preuve que […] antarcticstation.org antarcticstation.org |
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The goals for this project have been achieved […] iru.org iru.org |
Les objectifs de ce […] r�sultats excellents. iru.org iru.org |
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Following a very good year for the Community […] steel industry in 2000, with output reaching a record level of 163,2 million […] tonnes of steel, a downward trend in output became apparent as from the beginning of 2001 and became more marked subsequently. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
Apr�s une tr�s bonne ann�e 2000 pour le secteur […] sid�rurgique communautaire, avec une production record de 163,2 millions […] de tonnes d’acier, il avait �t� constat�, depuis le d�but de 2001, une tendance � la baisse de cette production, qui a �t� confirm�e par la suite. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
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The office provides very good service in French […] over the telephone. ocol.gc.ca ocol.gc.ca |
Le bureau fournit un tr�s bon service en fran�ais […] au t�l�phone. ocol.gc.ca ocol.gc.ca |
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At the end of the year, […] chfcanada.coop chfcanada.coop |
Vers la fin de l’ann�e, les coop�ratives d’habitation […] chfcanada.coop chfcanada.coop |
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Thanks to your tireless efforts, we have enjoyed very good cooperation with the Secretariat. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
Gr�ce � vos efforts infatigables, nous avons pu coop�rer efficacement avec le secr�tariat. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
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The reaction to […] dorel.com dorel.com |
Cette nouvelle […] dorel.com dorel.com |
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This means that if a beacon can only transmit twice following an […] be located accurately. nss-snrs.gc.ca nss-snrs.gc.ca |
Autrement dit, si une balise ne peut […] �mettre que deux signaux apr�s un […] puisse �tre d�termin� avec exactitude. nss-snrs.gc.ca nss-snrs.gc.ca |
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A total of 834 polling stations […] were visited, out of which in 96% of the cases the monitors appraised the voting […] ccprcentre.org ccprcentre.org |
Au total, 834 bureaux de vote ont �t� visit�s, et pour 96% d’entre eux les observateurs ont estim� que le processus […] ccprcentre.org ccprcentre.org |
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Very good resistance to cold […] for this rustic shrub used for groups or open hedges. salonduvegetal.com salonduvegetal.com |
Tr�s r�sistant au froid, […] cet arbuste rustique s’utilise en massif ou en haies libres. salonduvegetal.com salonduvegetal.com |
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That is a very good description of what […] is expected of an entity involved in a «due diligence» process. legion.ca legion.ca |
C‘est une tr�s bonne description de � ce […] quoi l’on s’attend d’une entit� impliqu�e dans un processus de »diligence raisonnable». legion.ca legion.ca |
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The conditions for innovation in the world of finance in general, and for future-oriented payment traffic solutions in particular, remain very good indeed. six-interbank-clearing.com six-interbank-clearing.com |
Les conditions restent favorables aux innovations, dans le monde financier en g�n�ral et pour les solutions de trafic des paiements orient�es vers l’avenir en particulier. six-interbank-clearing.com six-interbank-clearing.com |
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I was a good student, but I never was very good at math. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
J’�tais un bon �tudiant, mais je n‘�tais pas tr�s bon en maths. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
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The Canadian Seniors […] cooperation. legion.ca legion.ca |
Le Partenariat des A�n�s […] inter-juridictionnelle. legion.ca legion.ca |
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The service provided […] ocol.gc.ca ocol.gc.ca |
Le service fourni […] ocol.gc.ca ocol.gc.ca |
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In spite of everything, 82% of the collection was elite grade and grade 1 […] limagrain.com limagrain.com |
Malgr� tout, 82 % de la collecte s’est situ�e en grade �lite et grade 1 (> […] limagrain.com limagrain.com |
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It is no accident that these two divisions stand out due to growth that continues to […] arboniaforster.com arboniaforster.com |
Ce n’est pas un hasard si ces deux divisions se […] distinguent par une croissance continuellement sup�rieure � la moyenne du […] arboniaforster.com arboniaforster.com |
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We need very good musicians who can play various […] cultural styles or take us on a journey through time. cirquedusoleil.com cirquedusoleil.com |
Nous recherchons d’excellents musiciens pouvant jouer […] plusieurs styles musicaux provenant de diverses cultures ou nous faire voyager dans le temps. cirquedusoleil.com cirquedusoleil.com |
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Life then on this planet will not be very good. rencontres-montblanc.coop rencontres-montblanc.coop |
Il ne fera alors pas tr�s bon vivre sur cette plan�te. rencontres-montblanc.coop rencontres-montblanc.coop |
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Some very good books are available on this subject portailpalliatif.ca portailpalliatif.ca |
Il existe de tr�s bons livres portant sur le sujet. portailpalliatif.ca portailpalliatif.ca |
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But they are very good for people who want to produce […] fertilizer from their wastes. unwater.org unwater.org |
Cependant, elles sont tr�s bien pour les personnes […] qui souhaitent produire de l’engrais � partir de leurs d�chets. unwater.org unwater.org |
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They have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which are gentle, progressive and have a very good tolerance. isodisnatura.co.uk isodisnatura.co.uk |
Ils ont une action anti-inflammatoire et antalgique a la fois douce, progressive et parfaitement bien tol�r�e. isodisnatura.fr isodisnatura.fr |
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This was unusual […] sirc-csars.gc.ca sirc-csars.gc.ca |
Ce fait inhabituel en Syrie […] sirc-csars.gc.ca sirc-csars.gc.ca |
Continue Learning about Other Arts
What is ‘very good’ in French?
Tre bon, is french for very good.
French word for well?
«Bien» is the French word for good or well.
How do you say it is very very good in French?
It is very very good is «c’est très très bon» in French.
What is the french word for very sad?
triste
What is the french word for voice mail?
Hey im french, the french word is «Messagerie Vocale» or
«Repondeur» 
Thank you very much!
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I would call myself a […] www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Je me qualifierais d’�leveur […] www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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I am very good at listening and I don’t pass judgement […] on others. forcesavenir.qc.ca forcesavenir.qc.ca |
J‘ai un bon sens de l’�coute et je ne porte pas de […] jugement sur les autres. forcesavenir.qc.ca forcesavenir.qc.ca |
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I am not a […] will not dwell on the interest earned column, because I see […] that-although I am a poor administrator, at least I am not as bad as some people-some figures are not as good as others. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Comme je ne suis pas un tr�s grand fiscaliste, puisque […] j’ai un peu de difficult� � compter, je ne m’attarde pas � la colonne […] ��int�r�ts gagn�s��, car lorsqu’on s’y attarde, on se rend compte que-si, moi, je suis un pi�tre administrateur, je me console en constatant que certains sont pires-certains ne font pas bonne figure comparativement aux autres. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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8:30 am D+1: Very good news, we are in Kidira, […] near the Malian border. planete-jeunesse.fr planete-jeunesse.fr |
8h30�J+1�: Tr�s bonne nouvelle, nous sommes […] � Kidira, c’est-�-dire quasiment � la fronti�re avec le Mali�! planete-jeunesse.fr planete-jeunesse.fr |
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I am a very Good Spouse. fcdj.org fcdj.org |
Je suis un tr�s Bon �poux. fcdj.org fcdj.org |
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I am a very good skier. villarsski.ch villarsski.ch |
Je suis un tr�s bon skieur. villarsski.ch villarsski.ch |
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My friends and family say I am a (very) good cook. sabatier.com sabatier.com |
Ma famille et mes amis me […] sabatier.com sabatier.com |
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I am very good in sports and would like […] to go to the Olympics someday. otikids.com otikids.com |
Je suis tr�s bonne en sports et, un jour, […] j’aimerais participer aux Jeux Olympiques. otikids.com otikids.com |
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Now, on this happy […] the name of all the Friars Minor. ofm.org ofm.org |
Aujourd’hui, en votre heureux […] cordiaux et les plus sinc�res. ofm.org ofm.org |
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I am very disappointed because we could fight for a good result here. luciocecchinello.com luciocecchinello.com |
Je suis bien s�r tr�s d��u car nous pouvions vraiment nous battre pour un bon r�sultat ici. luciocecchinello.com luciocecchinello.com |
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I am very tired and not quite well, and the hope that someone nice will take over my practice is an ‘unreal dream’. cps.ca cps.ca |
Je suis tr�s fatigu�e et ne suis pas en tr�s bonne sant�, mais l’espoir que quelqu‘un de bien reprenne ma […] pratique demeure un «r�ve irr�alisable». cps.ca cps.ca |
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Well, anyway, I am very much delighted to hear […] you will stay in Geneva after retirement and I am very happy about that, […] as I shall have a chance to see you again many times. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
Quoi qu’il en soit, je suis extr�mement heureux d’apprendre […] que vous resterez � Gen�ve apr�s votre d�part � la retraite, […] et je m’en f�licite, car j’aurai la possibilit� de vous revoir souvent. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
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Mr. Speaker, when I was a boy, my father used to say that I should work on things that I am good at. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Monsieur le Pr�sident, lorsque j’�tais jeune, mon p�re me disait de travailler les points sur lesquels j’�tais d�j� fort. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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I am very concerned that we are facing the same thing […] in this country. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Je crains vraiment qu’il arrive la m�me chose au Canada. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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I am very pleased and honoured to present what […] I consider to be an historic report. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Je suis tr�s heureux et tr�s honor� de pr�senter […] ce rapport, que je consid�re historique. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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Let me see how good I am at math. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
Voyons un peu comment je me d�brouille en […] math�matiques. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca |
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I am very grateful to my colleagues at EUBAM, with whom I have excellent cooperation. consilium.europa.eu consilium.europa.eu |
Je suis tr�s reconnaissant � mes coll�gues de la mission, avec lesquels je travaille dans […] le cadre d’une excellente coop�ration. consilium.europa.eu consilium.europa.eu |
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This is a very good approach today, […] a good attitude, but the details must also be expanded upon in an adequate manner. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
C‘est une tr�s bonne approche � l’heure […] actuelle, une bonne attitude, mais les d�tails doivent �galement �tre d�velopp�s de mani�re ad�quate. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
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My third point is that we had a very good dialogue with all the institutions. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
Ma troisi�me remarque est que […] des institutions. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
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Safety performance of the rail transport mode in […] with its main competitor, road transport. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
Le niveau de s�curit� des transports ferroviaires en […] avec le principal concurrent, […] � savoir les transports routiers. eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu |
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Mr VAN DEN BRANDE […] localhost localhost |
M.�Van den BRANDE (Belgique) (Interpr�tation) remercie le ministre pour son discours mais aimerait quelques �claircissements. localhost localhost |
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I am a good thinker, listener and a good leader. n5tn.com n5tn.com |
Je sais bien r�fl�chir et �couter et je suis un bon leader. n5tn.com n5tn.com |
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This generated some very good group discussions. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
Il en a r�sult� de tr�s bonnes discussions de groupe. urantia-uai.org urantia-uai.org |
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I am very worried about the great confusion surrounding […] this text. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
Je suis tr�s pr�occup� par la tr�s grande confusion […] qui existe autour de ce texte. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu |
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I am very pleased to welcome you to […] the website of the European Central Bank (ECB) — whether you are visiting the site for […] work or study reasons, or whether you simply wish to know more about our activities. ecb.europa.eu ecb.europa.eu |
Je suis tr�s heureux de vous accueillir […] sur le site Internet de la Banque centrale europ�enne (BCE), que vous consultiez […] ce site pour des raisons professionnelles, dans le cadre de vos �tudes ou tout simplement pour mieux conna�tre nos activit�s. ecb.europa.eu ecb.europa.eu |
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I am very grateful to all those who […] contributed to this exercise in institutional self-reflexivity for their many positive and creative suggestions. ombudsman.europa.eu ombudsman.europa.eu |
Je suis tr�s reconnaissant � tous […] ceux qui ont contribu� � cet exercice d’autor�flexivit� institutionnelle par leurs nombreuses […] suggestions positives et innovantes. ombudsman.europa.eu ombudsman.europa.eu |
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But I also would be less than frank if I did not say that, […] daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
Mais je manquerais de franchise si je ne disais pas, […] daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org |
French has many ways to say «great.» Many students use très bon (very good), but bon in French is really just a basic adjective. It means «good» and can seem a bit weak, just like «very good» or «great» would be in English. Using a synonym, instead, will make your French sound much more eloquent.
As we examine the various synonyms for très bon, we will look at two sentences. The first will use the appropriate French «great» and the second will include the synonym. This will allow you to really see the impact it has on your meaning.
Agréable (Nice, Pleasant)
This is a very good synonym for bon since agréable essentially has the same strength as bon.
- Nous avons passé une très bonne soirée. We had a very good evening.
- Nous avons passé une soirée très agréable. We had a very pleasant evening.
Chouette (Cool, Pleasant, Friendly, Nice)
Chouette is common slang. It has the same masculine and feminine.
- Cette fille est très sympathique. This girl is very nice, is great.
- Cette fille est très chouette. This girl is awesome.
No Très Here
Now we will look at adjectives that are already at the highest degree of their meaning. This means that you cannot use très (very) with them. You could, however, use vraiment (really) which is extremely popular, though it may be a bit overused at times.
Excellent (Excellent)
When something is really, really good, the word «good» simply cannot express that. This is why we have a word like excellent in both French and English.
- Ce repas était vraiment très bon. This meal was really very good.
- Ce repas était vraiment excellent. This meal was really excellent.
Formidable (Wonderful)
Watch out for the word formidable as it is a false cognate. Formidable is positive in French, it does not mean terrible as «formidable» does in English.
- Nous avons vu un très bon spectacle. We saw a very good show.
- Nous avons vu un spectacle formidable. We saw a wonderful show.
Extraordinaire / Exceptionnel (Exceptional)
In English, «extraordinary» doesn’t necessarily mean «great» as it can also mean «out of the ordinary.» In French, we would say » hors de l’ordinaire» or, more frequently, «très différent » for that meaning.
- Nous avons bu un très bon vin. We drank a very good wine.
- Nous avons bu un vin extraordinaire/ exceptionnel. We drank an exceptional wine
Fantastique (Amazing)
When you’re traveling, you will come across many eye-catching places. Yet, are they really just «pretty» or are they «amazing»? Fantastique is a perfect word for such a scenario.
- Nous avons visité des endroits très beaux. We visited very pretty places.
- Nous avons visité des endroits fantastiques. We visited amazing places.
Merveilleux (Marvelous)
Merveilleux is much like fantastique in that it takes a mediocre description and adds pizzazz.
- Ce massage était vraiment très bon. This massage was really great.
- Ce massage était vraiment merveilleux. This massage was really marvelous.
Remarquable (Remarkable)
You should have no problem with the French remarquable because it bears a remarkable resemblance to the English.
- Son travail est très bon. His work is great.
- Son travail est remarquable. His work is remarkable.
Génial (Brilliant)
There are «great» ideas and there are «brilliant» ideas. When you want to distinguish the two, turn to géniale.
- Il a eu une très bonne idée. He had a great idea.
- Il a eu une idée géniale. He had a brilliant idea.
Super (Terrific)
«Super» may be a bit old-fashioned in English, but it is used often in French. It’s also invariable, meaning it doesn’t change with number and gender.
- Mes vacances étaient très bonnes. My vacation was great.
- Mes vacances étaient super. My vacation was terrific.
Note that «les vacances» is plural feminine in French.
Top Cool (Really Cool)
The phrase top cool is popular among a really young French crowd. Don’t use it if you are over, say, 20!
- Je kiffe trop cette meuf. Elle est top cool. I dig this girl. She’s really awesome.
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May 15, 2018 -
French Conversation, Speaking French, Writing & Spelling
Bonjour !
Feeling the frustration of always reusing the same old words you learned in high school? Don’t worry, it’s normal – everyone from beginners to native speakers can sometimes feel limited by their French vocabulary. You simply need more words!
As you learn different ways to say the same things, you’ll feel more precise and more confident to speak fluently. So, let’s start with synonyms for one of the most useful adjectives in any language: “Good.”
Let’s dive in!
1. French Vocabulary: The Different Uses of “Bien”
Special Warning:
Do not use Bien fait ! -> It doesn’t mean “well done.” It’s actually an ironic insult!
Bien means good.
In several different ways!
As an adjective, it’s often used for general situations:
C’est très bien, ça ! C’est une bonne nouvelle ! That’s very good! That’s good news!
In colloquial speech, we also use c’est trop bien, or literally “that’s too good,” to mean the same thing, “That’s great, that’s high quality.”
“Bien” also means “good” as a noun:
Un bien = a good
“Un bien” often used for un bien immobilier, a real property.
Mon frère est marchand de biens. My brother is a real estate agent.
Le bien = moral good
Nietzsche est l’auteur de Par delà le bien et le mal
Nietzsche wrote Beyond Good and Evil.
Du bien = pleasant, relaxing, good for your well-being
“Ça fait du bien de rentrer chez soi !”
It feels good to be home
Finally, “bien” is also used as an adverb that means “well”:
On a bien mangé !
We ate well!
Want all the vocabulary of the lesson ?
2. Bon !
Bon is an adjective that means “good,” in several different ways, that can all expand your French vocabulary.
You can use it to compliment your food:
J’adore ton gâteau, il est très bon!
I love your cake, it’s very good!
You can also use it to mean “pleasurable,” like “ça fait du bien” :
C’est trop bon d’enlever ses chaussures en rentrant chez soi.
It feels so great to come home and take your shoes off.
However, we can also use “c’est bon,” to mean “it’s enough.”
“Tu veux encore du gâteau ?” “Non, c’est bon, merci.”
“Do you want some more cake?””No, I’m good, thanks.”
Or in a less polite example,
Oh, c’est bon, arrête de te plaindre, on est presque arrivés.
“Oh, come on, stop complaining, we’re almost there.”
We can apply “bon” to people as well.
It means “competent” when it’s placed before a profession or an activity:
C’est une bonne joueuse de tennis.
She’s a good tenniswoman.
When “bon” is after the noun, it’s often a moral judgement:
Michel est un homme bon.
Michel is a good, kind man.
Special Warning:
The feminine version “bonne” is a colloquial and derogatory way to say that a woman is “hot” or good-looking. That’s one French word you might want to avoid.
For a more respectful way to say good-looking though, you can use beau (belle).
Yes, beau and bon are two different words with different pronunciations. Don’t worry, I’m sure you can do it!
3. Colloquial Synonyms
“Good” and its synonyms are very common in French slang vocabulary. There are many slang versions, and the trends change fast. There’s always a new “hip” positive adjective going around, but some of them have had a longer shelf life.
For instance, Super is a popular word for general positivity. It’s barely colloquial, it’s just informal.
It can be an adjective like “great,” or an adverb, like “very.”
T’as une super robe !
You have a great dress!
Ta maison est super grande !
Your house is very big!
C’est un super bon gâteau!
This is a very good cake!
Or simply C’est super ! which means “That’s great!” or something like, “Yay!”
In the same vein, we have “Génial,” “wonderful.” It’s barely colloquial. It’s a bit more abstract. You can use it to compliment something creative, or for some overall great news.
Oh, t’as un nouveau boulot ? Mais c’est génial !
Oh, you found a new job! That’s wonderful!
For something ‘good’, but in a more modest way, we can also use sympa.
(It means “friendly” when used about someone. But “nice” when used about things.)
Elles sont sympas, tes chaussures.
Your shoes are nice.
We also import some words from the English language in our everyday language.
For instance, cool is very common, and can apply to anything, just like sympa.
Elle est cool ta veste.
Hey, your jacket is pretty cool.
For a stronger meaning, we also use top or au top but that might sound a bit outdated now.
J’ai entendu une chanson top à la radio !
I’ve heard a great song on the radio.
Instead of “c’est top,” you can also use “C’est extra.” And that is a great song, by French singer/poet Léo Ferré. You can also check out Terez Montcalm’s great cover.
But my favorite colloquial synonym for good is: chouette. It sounds like une chouette, an owl, but it’s actually an adjective. There’s a meaning of simplicity, even innocence, in the word, and it’s great.
J’ai passé une chouette soirée avec les amis.
I had a great night with my friends.
Less common, more colloquial variations from younger people. They can all be used to mean “good” or “great” in many different situations.
“Oh, tu apprends le français ? Super ! C’est…”
“Oh, so you’re learning French? Awesome! That’s…”
Chanmé – “Verlan” for méchant, “bad, evil, angry.”
Stylé – Literally “Stylish.”
Classe – “Classy.”
Fat – from the English “fat.”
We also use verbs and expressions, such as Ça envoie! and its many variations, that you can find in the Bonus blog post for the Most Useful Colloquial Expressions in French.
Want to save this for later ?
Et toi ?
Which other positive French synonyms do you know?
Bonne journée,
Géraldine
Join the conversation!
I like the lesson
Formidable!
Qu´en est-il d´intéressant? Il pourrait etre utilisé comme un positif, n´est-ce pas?
Oh – c’etait un excellent video! Exactement ce qu je voulais apprendre. Merci merci merci! Je suis tellement mal a l’aise quand j’essaye d’exprimer “good” ou “great” en francais!
I always have problem with saying 《he/she is a good friend》 in french. How to tell so in french.
Merci de répondre
Quand j’étais en Italie, j’ai appris que le mot “terrifico” veut dire horrifiant et pas “bon”. En Anglais “terrific” veut dire bon ou très bien. Je vois que en francais, le mot “terrifiant” existe mais “térrifique”n’est pas un mot. C’est interessant!
Le mot extraordinaire. C´est extraordinaire !
How is “fat” used? This is one word I’ve never heard. Thank you
Je pense que le mot “fat”, il n’est pas écrire comme ça, en Anglais au moins. Donc, “fat” en Anglais, il a toujours un connotation négative c’est comme le mot “grosse” en française. C’est “phat” que tu veux, il est un mot Anglaise de jeunes des années 2000’s, que je reconnais bien :). Car, le mot signifie “cool”. Corrigez-moi si ma française est mauvais.
I have a few questions. Does the adjective ‘sympa’ agree with the noun it describes or is it invariable? I wondered why you placed the adjectives ‘chouette’ and ‘excellent’ before the noun.
Yes, definitely frustrating and even depressing to be limited in your French vocabulary and end up mute because you don’t know other ways to say basic things! Thanks for the video! Just a pointer on your pronunciation of the word ‘adjective.’ I wasn’t sure what you were referring to at the beginning but then I got it. Here is the link to the pronunciation: https://www.google.com/sear…. Thanks again!
Super vidéo Géraldine! Ça m’a donné l’idée d’une vidéo sur des expressions pour dire que quelque chose est bon, genre: Ça déchire, c’est du lourd etc.
Quand j’ai vécu au sud de la France j’ai beaucoup apprécier l’expression “c’est nickel”. Merci pour tout ton travail Géraldine, j’adore comme une française!
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Bonjour Géraldine, super épisode! When I was learning French in high school, it was explained to us that when placing an adjective before a noun where normally that adjective would follow a noun, that meant it was extra emphasis on the adjective. For example, “c’est un super vidéo!” Au lieu de “c’est un vidéo super”. Would you agree?
Tu as oublié “formidable”! Mais, une super vidéo néanmoins!
Merci! I appreciate the transcript following your video
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#1
Bon jour
Hello ^_^ I wanted to compliment my friend by saying «wow, you’re very good in speaking french» but i’m not sure how to translate it in French.. I just wanted to make her happy that she’s doing a great job.. It’ll be nice if she’ll read my message in French.. Merci
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#4
For a start, in English you would say «You’re very good at speaking French» (not in speaking), or more colloquially — «You speak very good French».
In French, I’d say: «Tu parles très bien le francais.»
okay, thank you for correcting me
thanks for the translation kiwi =)