tant mieux pour toi
The English phrase "good for you" can be translated into French as tant mieux pour toi.
The phrase is used to tell someone that you are glad something good has happened to them. Similar to English, it can be used sincerely to express genuine happiness or sarcastically to show indifference or annoyance.
What does it mean word for word?
The part tant mieux literally translates to "so much the better".
Which one should you use?
It can be a sincere expression of support or a sarcastic remark.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, use tant mieux pour vous instead of tant mieux pour toi.
Did you know?
- While tant mieux means 'good for you' or 'all the better', its opposite is tant pis, which is used to say 'too bad' or 'tough luck'.
- In some French-speaking regions, if you want to sound even more enthusiastic about someone's luck, you might say tant mieux pour toi! with a rising intonation, whereas in English, a rising tone can sometimes make 'good for you' sound even more sarcastic.
- The word mieux in the phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'better', both tracing back to the Latin 'melius'.
Examples in context
- « Je ne fume pas de crack. » « Tant mieux pour toi. » « Je suis à fond sur la meth. »"I don't smoke crack." "Good for you." "It's all about meth for me."This example shows the use of tant mieux pour toi in a conversational context.Tatoeba #12482726 by menaud, translation #11610212 by shekitten
- Tu as trouvé un nouvel appartement ? Tant mieux pour toi !You found a new apartment? Good for you!
- Il ne travaille plus ici ? Tant mieux pour toi.He doesn't work here anymore? Good for you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about a new job.
- LéaGabriel, j'ai enfin trouvé un nouvel emploi !Gabriel, I finally found a new job!
- GabrielC'est génial, tant mieux pour toi !That's awesome, good for you!
- LéaMerci, je suis vraiment soulagée.Thanks, I'm really relieved.
- GabrielTu le mérites vraiment.You really deserve it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mieux, pour, tant, toi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
