meilleur
/mɛ.jœʁ/masculine
In French, the English word "best" is translated as meilleur.
meilleur is the superlative of the adjective good (adj). It is used to describe nouns, such as when you are talking about the best food.
Meaning: superlative of the adjective good (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use meilleur when modifying a noun. If you want to modify a verb, such as saying someone performs "best", you should use mieux instead. Note that mieux can also mean "effort" as a noun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes to match the noun it describes: meilleur is the masculine form, meilleure is the feminine form, meilleurs is the masculine plural form and meilleures is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /mɛ.jœʁ/ and has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying plus bon to mean "better" or "best". Instead, use meilleur.
Did you know?
- The French word meilleur shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'large', as both stem from a root meaning 'strong' or 'big'.
- While meilleur means 'best', the phrase le meilleur des deux mondes is used to describe a situation that combines the advantages of two different things.
- The word mieux, the adverbial cousin of meilleur, is also the word used for 'better' when talking about health or well-being.
Examples in context
- Tu es le meilleur.You're the best.This sentence is useful for using the masculine form meilleur.Tatoeba #2229007 by sacredceltic, translation #1752568 by donkirkby
- Tu es la meilleure.You are the best.Tatoeba #2229008 by sacredceltic, translation #2549197 by CK
- Il est le meilleur.He's the best.Tatoeba #12452177 by Orange, translation #12452182 by Orange
- Notre équipe est la meilleure de toutes les autres.Our team is the best out of all the others.
- Ce restaurant est le top pour les amateurs de cuisine italienne.This restaurant is the best for Italian food enthusiasts.
- Sa présentation était tout simplement le top lors de la conférence.Her presentation was simply the best during the conference.
- Ce téléphone est vraiment le must en matière de performance.This phone is truly the best in terms of performance.
- Pour cet événement spécial, une belle robe noire est le must.For this special event, a beautiful black dress is a must-have.
- 943 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are discussing a new restaurant.
- LucasC'est le meilleur restaurant de la ville.It is the best restaurant in town.
- ChloéJe suis d'accord, le service est incroyable.I agree, the service is incredible.
- LucasLeur pizza est vraiment la meilleure.Their pizza is truly the best.
- ChloéLucas, tu as toujours de bonnes adresses.Lucas, you always have great places to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “best” translations and entries meilleur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries meilleur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
