c'était très bien
In French, "it was very good" is translated as c'était très bien.
The phrase is used to express that an experience or a thing was of high quality or satisfactory.
Which one should you use?
While c'était très bien is used for general experiences or the quality of something, you should use c'était très bon specifically when referring to the taste of food or drink.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the phrase c'était ben bon is used in casual conversations. In Belgium, the expression c'était méchamment bon is used to emphasize exceptional quality or taste.
Did you know?
- In Belgium, the word méchamment literally means 'wickedly' or 'meanly', but in the phrase c'était méchamment bon, it acts as an intensifier similar to 'insanely'.
- In a professional or academic setting, a French teacher might respond to a student's work with C'est bien, which can sometimes be a coded way of saying it is 'satisfactory' but not exceptional.
- The word très is related to the Latin 'trans', which means 'across' or 'beyond', suggesting that 'very' literally means going 'beyond' a certain point.
Examples in context
- C'était très bien.It was very good.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase c'était très bien.Tatoeba #3669938 by sacredceltic, translation #3392956 by CK
- Le spectacle était très bien, tous les acteurs étaient excellents.The show was very good, all the actors were excellent.
- La présentation était fort bonne, vous avez bien expliqué tous les détails.The presentation was very good, you explained all the details well.
- Ce film était super, je l'ai vraiment adoré !This movie was super, I really loved it!
- Le restaurant était génial, la nourriture était délicieuse et le service impeccable.The restaurant was awesome, the food was delicious, and the service impeccable.
- C'était très bien, merci.It was very good, thank you.
- Le film ? C'était très bien.The movie? It was very good.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing a concert they attended.
- LucasTu as aimé le concert ?Did you like the concert?
- EmmaOui, c'était très bien !Yes, it was very good!
- LucasJe suis content que tu aies aimé.I am glad that you liked it.
- EmmaL'ambiance était parfaite.The atmosphere was perfect.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
