"Bon" is probably the first word that comes to mind when you want to say "good" in French. But just like in English, relying on a single word can make your conversations sound a bit repetitive and less natural. French is a language rich with nuance, offering many fantastic alternatives to express everything from "excellent" to "fine" or "tasty."

Learning these varied expressions for "good" will not only boost your vocabulary but also help you sound more like a native speaker, allowing you to convey precise shades of meaning in different contexts. Ready to elevate your French?

Let's explore 9 different ways to say "good" in French and discover when to use each one!

The standard 'good' (adjective) – bon/bonne

When you want to say something is 'good' in French, the most common and versatile adjective you'll use is bon/bonne.

Like most French adjectives, bon/bonne must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here are its forms:<ul><li>bon (masculine singular)</li><li>bonne (feminine singular)</li><li>bons (masculine plural)</li><li>bonnes (feminine plural)</li></ul>

Unlike many French adjectives that come after the noun, bon/bonne typically precedes the noun it describes. For example, une bonne idée (a good idea), not une idée bonne.

Bon/bonne appears in many everyday expressions:<ul><li>Bonjour (good day/hello)</li><li>Bon appétit! (enjoy your meal!)</li><li>C'est bon ! (It's good!/It's tasty!)</li><li>Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)</li></ul>It can describe quality, taste, or a positive characteristic.

It's crucial not to confuse bon (adjective - 'good') with bien (adverb - 'well'). While both convey positivity, bon modifies nouns, and bien modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, Il est bon (He is good) vs. Il chante bien (He sings well).

When comparing, bon becomes meilleur (better), and for the superlative, le meilleur (the best). Remember, plus bon is generally incorrect in this context.

💡 * C'est un bon livre. (It's a good book.)

• Elle a de bonnes idées. (She has good ideas.)
• Ce gâteau est vraiment bon. (This cake is really good.)
• Nous avons passé une bonne journée. (We had a good day.)
• Bonne nuit ! (Good night!)

The 'well' or 'good' (adverb, or 'it's good') – bien

The French word bien is a fundamental building block for learners, translating most commonly to 'well' or 'good'. Its versatility makes it indispensable in everyday conversation, describing actions, states, and even intensifying meaning.

Primarily, bien functions as an adverb, meaning 'well'. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating that an action is performed correctly or to a good standard. Think of it as the opposite of mal (badly).

One of its most frequent uses is in the common greeting Ça va bien ? (How are you doing?) or the response Ça va bien, merci. (I'm doing well, thank you.). This simple phrase highlights its role in expressing well-being.

While usually an adverb, bien can sometimes feel like an adjective, particularly in expressions like C'est bien ! (That's good!/It's good!). Here, it describes a situation or concept as positive or correct, rather than modifying an action.

Bien can also serve as an intensifier, meaning 'very' or 'quite', especially when placed before an adjective or another adverb. For example, bien joli (quite pretty) or bien vite (very quickly) add emphasis to the description.

A common point of confusion for learners is distinguishing bien from bon (masculine) and bonne (feminine). The key difference is their grammatical role: bien is an adverb (modifies verbs, adjectives, adverbs), while bon/bonne are adjectives (modifies nouns). For instance, un bon livre (a good book) versus Il écrit bien (He writes well).

Mastering bien is crucial for sounding natural in French. From describing how an action is performed to expressing approval or intensifying meaning, its adaptability makes it one of the most useful words you'll learn.

💡 * Je parle bien français. (I speak French well.)

• Ça va bien, merci. (It's going well, thank you.)
• C'est bien que tu sois là. (It's good that you are here.)
• Elle est bien jolie. (She is quite pretty.)
• Tu as bien fait de venir. (You did well to come.)

The 'excellent' or 'very good' – excellent/excellente

The adjective excellent/excellente is a straightforward way to express 'excellent' or 'very good' in French, signifying top quality or high praise.

It's used to describe something or someone of superior quality, skill, or merit. It directly translates to 'excellent' but can also convey 'very good' or 'superb'.

Like many French adjectives, excellent changes form to agree with the gender of the noun it modifies. Use excellent for masculine singular nouns (e.g., un film excellent) and excellente for feminine singular nouns (e.g., une idée excellente).

For plural nouns, add an 's'. This results in excellents for masculine plural (e.g., des résultats excellents) and excellentes for feminine plural (e.g., des compétences excellentes).

Generally, excellent/excellente follows the noun it describes. For example, you would say un travail excellent (an excellent job). While placing it before the noun (un excellent travail) is sometimes heard, it's less common for this specific adjective in a purely descriptive sense.

This adjective carries a strong positive connotation, indicating a high degree of quality or performance, often beyond just 'good'. It's a powerful word for praise.

You can apply excellent/excellente to a wide range of subjects, from food and art to people's performance, ideas, or even weather, making it a highly versatile term in everyday conversation.

💡 * C'est un restaurant excellent. (It's an excellent restaurant.)

• Elle a eu une excellente idée. (She had an excellent idea.)
• Ces résultats sont excellents. (These results are excellent.)
• Nous avons passé d'excellentes vacances. (We had an excellent vacation.)
• Ton français est excellent ! (Your French is excellent!)

The 'great' or 'super' (informal) – super

The word super in French is an incredibly versatile and common informal term, equivalent to 'great,' 'awesome,' or 'super' in English. It can function as both an adjective and an adverb.

One of the most convenient aspects of super is its invariability. Unlike most French adjectives, super never changes its form to agree with the noun's gender or number. It remains super whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.

When used as an adjective, super describes a noun. For example, un film super (a great movie), une idée super (a super idea), des amis super (great friends). It typically follows the noun it modifies.

Beyond an adjective, super can also act as an adverb, modifying a verb or another adjective. In this case, it means 'very' or 'really'. For instance, Je me sens super bien (I feel super well/really good) or C'est super intéressant (It's super interesting).

💡 * C'est super !

• J'ai passé une soirée super.
• Ces chaussures sont super jolies.
• Il chante super bien.
• Nous avons vu un film super hier.

The 'awesome' or 'brilliant' – génial/géniale

When you want to express that something is 'awesome,' 'brilliant,' 'great,' or 'fantastic' in French, the go-to adjective is génial/géniale.

Génial translates directly to 'awesome,' 'brilliant,' or 'great.' It's a versatile adjective used to convey strong positive approval for almost anything.

As an adjective, génial must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The masculine singular form is génial, and the feminine singular is géniale. For plurals, it becomes géniaux (masculine) and géniales (feminine).

You'll hear génial used frequently in everyday conversation. It can describe people, experiences, ideas, objects, or situations. It's a very common and natural way to express enthusiasm.

While generally informal, génial is widely accepted and can even be used in semi-formal contexts without sounding out of place. It conveys genuine admiration or excitement.

It's one of the most straightforward and effective adjectives to use when you want to show strong positive feelings about something. It's concise and impactful.

💡 * C'est génial ! (That's awesome!)

• Elle a eu une idée géniale. (She had a brilliant idea.)
• Ce film était génial. (This movie was great/awesome.)
• Tes nouvelles chaussures sont géniales. (Your new shoes are brilliant.)
• Nous avons passé des vacances géniales. (We had an awesome vacation.)

The 'magnificent' or 'splendid' – magnifique

The French adjective magnifique is a highly versatile and expressive word, directly translating to 'magnificent,' 'splendid,' or 'gorgeous' in English. It's used to convey strong admiration for something truly outstanding.

Magnifique can describe a vast array of subjects, from people and places to objects, events, and experiences. Whether it's a breathtaking landscape, a stunning piece of art, or a wonderful performance, this word fits perfectly.

A key point for learners is that magnifique is invariable in gender in the singular. This means it doesn't change its form to agree with masculine or feminine nouns. You'll say un film magnifique (a magnificent film) and une chanson magnifique (a magnificent song). It only changes for plural: des films magnifiques.

This adjective is often used to express a higher degree of positive sentiment than simple words like bon (good) or beau/belle (beautiful). It implies a sense of awe, grandeur, or exceptional quality, making it ideal for exclamations of genuine appreciation.

💡 * C'est une vue magnifique depuis le sommet de la montagne. (It's a magnificent view from the mountaintop.)

• Elle porte une robe magnifique ce soir. (She's wearing a magnificent dress tonight.)
• Le concert était absolument magnifique! (The concert was absolutely splendid!)
• Quel magnifique coucher de soleil! (What a magnificent sunset!)
• Il a fait un travail magnifique sur ce projet. (He did a splendid job on this project.)

The 'wonderful' or 'terrific' – formidable

In French, the adjective formidable is used to express something that is wonderful, terrific, great, or fantastic. It carries a strong positive connotation, often used to describe people, experiences, or things that are excellent.

One key aspect of formidable is its grammatical nature: it is an invariable adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree with the gender (masculine or feminine) or number (singular or plural) of the noun it modifies. It always remains 'formidable'.

Be careful not to confuse the French formidable with its English cognate 'formidable'. While they share a root, the French word does not mean 'intimidating', 'daunting', or 'fearsome'. Its meaning is almost exclusively positive and enthusiastic.

💡 * C'est une idée formidable ! (That's a wonderful idea!)

• Il a fait un travail formidable. (He did a terrific job.)
• Les vacances étaient formidables. (The holidays were fantastic.)
• Tu es formidable ! (You are wonderful!)
• J'ai passé un moment formidable avec eux. (I had a great time with them.)

The 'nice' or 'pleasant' (often for people or things) – sympa

The French adjective sympa is a very common and versatile word used to describe someone or something as 'nice,' 'pleasant,' 'friendly,' or 'likeable.' It's one of the first adjectives learners often pick up due to its frequent use in everyday conversation.

Sympa is actually a shortened, informal version of the longer adjective sympathique. While sympathique is also used, sympa is far more prevalent in casual speech and writing, making it sound more natural and current.

A fantastic feature for learners is that sympa is invariable. This means it doesn't change its spelling to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. Whether it's masculine, feminine, singular, or plural, it always remains 'sympa'.

You'll most often find sympa used with the verb être (to be), as in Il est sympa (He is nice) or Elle est sympa (She is nice). It can also be used with trouver (to find), like Je le trouve sympa (I find him nice).

💡 * Elle est vraiment sympa avec tout le monde. (She is really nice to everyone.)

• Ce restaurant est très sympa, j'aime l'ambiance. (This restaurant is very pleasant, I like the atmosphere.)
• Tes nouveaux voisins ont l'air sympa. (Your new neighbors seem nice.)
• J'ai passé un moment sympa avec mes amis. (I had a nice time with my friends.)
• C'est une idée sympa pour le week-end. (That's a nice idea for the weekend.)

The 'cool' or 'nice' (informal) – chouette

In French, chouette is a widely used informal adjective and interjection that translates to 'cool,' 'nice,' 'great,' or 'awesome.' It's a versatile word perfect for expressing positive sentiment in casual conversation.

One of the most convenient aspects of chouette is that it is invariable. This means it doesn't change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. Whether you're talking about one cool thing or many, or a masculine or feminine subject, chouette stays the same.

You can use chouette as an adjective to describe nouns. For example, 'un film chouette' (a cool movie), 'une idée chouette' (a nice idea), or 'des amis chouettes' (cool friends). It's generally placed after the noun.

Chouette also functions as a standalone interjection to express delight, approval, or excitement. Similar to saying 'Cool!' or 'Great!' in English, you can simply exclaim, 'Chouette !' when something good happens or you agree with something.

Remember that chouette is primarily used in informal contexts. While perfectly acceptable among friends and family, it might be too casual for very formal settings. Interestingly, the word chouette originally means 'owl' in French. Its evolution to mean 'cool' is thought to be linked to the positive perception of owls or perhaps their distinctive appearance.

💡 * C'est une idée chouette ! (That's a cool idea!)

• Ton nouveau vélo est vraiment chouette. (Your new bike is really cool.)
• On va au cinéma ce soir ? Chouette ! (Are we going to the cinema tonight? Great!)
• Elle a des amis chouettes. (She has cool friends.)
• Le concert était chouette. (The concert was awesome.)

Are there other ways to say 'good' in French?

Are there other ways to say “good” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “good” in French. But the French language is rich with nuances, offering many other terms, from formal to informal, and context-specific expressions that convey various shades of 'goodness'.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire bon en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms and expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms for bon on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about what is 'good' or 'of good quality'.

And if you’re looking for more ways to express 'goodness' or words related to quality in French, the WordReference entry for bon is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a fitting quote to finish it with: Fais le bien et laisse dire. (Do good and let them talk.) - French Proverb