Which one should you use?
While c'était amusant is a standard way to say "it was fun", you may encounter the colloquial alternative c'était sympa to express that an experience was pleasant or fun. For an informal way to say something was "super fun" or "super enjoyable", you can use C'était super. Additionally, if you want to say "We had a great time", you can use the informal phrase On s'est bien amusés.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal expression that emphasizes the pleasant aspect of an experience, you can use Ce fut agréable. In everyday informal conversation, c'était sympa is a very common way to say an experience was nice or fun.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because amusant is an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the subject ce, which is always singular and masculine in this construction.
Did you know?
- In very informal French, you might hear someone say C'était trop bien to mean 'it was great fun'. Although trop usually means 'too much', in modern slang it functions as an intensifier like 'so' or 'really'.
- The word amusant can sometimes carry a backhanded compliment in French, implying that something was merely 'amusing' or 'funny' rather than truly deep or significant. A person might say C'était amusant to politely signal that an event lacked real substance.
- The common alternative sympa is a shortening of sympathique. While 'sympathetic' in English implies pity, sympa describes someone or something that is likable, friendly or fun.
Examples in context
- C'était amusant de jouer dans le parc.It was fun playing in the park.This sentence is useful for describing the fun of playing in the park using c'était amusant.Tatoeba #331247 by TRANG, translation #240412 by CK
- C'était amusant, le temps que ça a duré.It was fun while it lasted.This sentence shows how to use c'était amusant to say something was fun while it lasted.Tatoeba #1196949 by sacredceltic, translation #1196944 by CK
- C'était amusant.It was fun.This sentence provides a simple example of using c'était amusant.Tatoeba #3288843 by Amastan, translation #2248832 by CK
- J'ai passé la journée à la plage avec mes amis. C'était génial!I spent the day at the beach with my friends. It was awesome!
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about a party they attended yesterday.
- GabrielC'était amusant, n'est-ce pas ?It was fun, wasn't it?
- ChloéOui, c'était vraiment amusant.Yes, it was really fun.
- GabrielJe suis content que tu sois venue.I am glad you came.
- ChloéMoi aussi, merci de m'avoir invitée.Me too, thanks for inviting me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
