What does it mean word for word?
The expression je me suis régalé is a reflexive construction that literally means "I regaled myself," where the verb se régaler means to feast or to treat oneself to something delicious.
Which one should you use?
You might use J'ai vraiment apprécié mon repas or Ce repas était délicieux in more formal contexts. For a very casual reaction, you can say C'était trop bon! or use the slang J'ai vraiment kiffé mon repas to mean "I really loved my meal". Finally, Ça, c'était un vrai délice! can be used to say "That was a real delight!"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je me suis régalé is considered more colloquial and emotive than formal alternatives like le repas était excellent. It is perfectly polite to use when speaking to a host or at a restaurant.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form je me suis régalé is used by a masculine speaker. If the speaker is female, the past participle must agree with the subject, resulting in je me suis régalée.
Did you know?
- The slang word kiffer comes from the Arabic word kif, which refers to the pleasure derived from smoking cannabis.
- The casual phrase C'était trop bon! uses the word trop, which usually means 'too much' in a negative sense, to mean 'very' or 'extremely' in a positive sense.
- The verb régaler can also be used to describe the act of paying the bill for someone else, as in je vous régale.
Examples in context
- J'ai vraiment apprécié mon repas. Les plats étaient exquis, et j'ai adoré le dessert au chocolat!I really enjoyed my meal. The dishes were exquisite, and I loved the chocolate dessert!
- Merci pour le dîner, je me suis régalé.Thanks for dinner, I really enjoyed my meal.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are finishing dinner at a restaurant.
- ManonAlors, Hugo, c'était bon ?So, Hugo, was it good?
- HugoOui, je me suis régalé !Yes, I really enjoyed my meal!
- ManonMoi aussi, tout était parfait.Me too, everything was perfect.
- HugoOn demande l'addition ?Shall we ask for the bill?
