bonne nouvelle
The English phrase 'great news' is translated into French as bonne nouvelle.
This phrase is used to describe information regarding a positive or happy event.
Which one should you use?
To express that news is 'great' or 'good' in a positive sense, use bonne nouvelle. While une grande nouvelle translates literally to 'a big news', it is not the idiomatic way to express that the news is positive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is grammatically feminine. Consequently, it uses the feminine article une and the feminine adjective bonne. When you are referring to multiple pieces of news, use the plural form de bonnes nouvelles.
Did you know?
- The word nouvelle is a linguistic relative of the English word 'novel' and the Italian 'novella'.
- The word nouvelle can also mean 'a short story' in a literary context, much like the English 'novella'.
- The word nouvelle is the feminine form of the adjective for 'new', which was turned into a noun to mean 'news' over time.
Examples in context
- Imagine, j'ai obtenu une promotion ! C'est une excellente nouvelle !Imagine, I got a promotion! It's excellent news!
- Tu ne devineras jamais, mais j'ai gagné une voiture !You'll never guess, but I won a car!
- C'est une nouvelle incroyable, j'ai été accepté(e) dans mon université de rêve !It's an incredible piece of news, I got accepted into my dream university!
- Quelle bonne nouvelle !What great news!
- C'est une bonne nouvelle.It is great news.
- J'ai une bonne nouvelle pour vous.I have some great news for you.
Example conversation
Léa tells Nathan that she got a new job.
- LéaNathan, j'ai une bonne nouvelle !Nathan, I have some great news!
- NathanAh bon ? Dis-moi tout.Oh really? Tell me everything.
- LéaJ'ai enfin décroché le poste.I finally got the job.
- NathanC'est une bonne nouvelle, félicitations !That is great news, congratulations!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bonne nouvelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nouvelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
