pas bon
The English phrase "no good" is translated into French as pas bon.
pas bon is used to describe something that is of poor quality or not satisfactory. In many contexts, particularly when discussing food, pas bon specifically implies that something tastes bad or is not tasty.
Which one should you use?
While pas bon means "not good," the single adjective mauvais is often used to mean "bad" in terms of quality or character.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, there are specific informal ways to express that something is no good: pas bon pantoute and pas fameux.
Did you know?
- The word pas in pas bon originally meant 'a step'. It evolved from the idea of 'not a step' to function as a way to say 'not' in modern French.
- While pas bon describes quality, the word bon is also used in the phrase bon appétit. In this context, it refers to the desire or appetite for food rather than the taste of the food itself.
- In Quebec, adding pantoute to pas bon creates an emphatic 'no good' that is uniquely regional. This term is derived from the word point, meaning 'not at all'.
Examples in context
- Ce n'est pas bon.It's no good.Tatoeba #1112217 by sacredceltic, translation #1359503 by CK
- Ce n'était pas bon.That was no good.Tatoeba #5289406 by Aiji, translation #3721973 by CM
- Ils ne sont pas bons.They're no good.Tatoeba #7839032 by sacredceltic, translation #3732654 by CK
- La nourriture dans ce restaurant n'est pas bonne.The food in this restaurant is not good.
- La qualité du travail n'est pas bonne.The quality of the work is not good.
- Le service client de cette entreprise est mauvais.The customer service of this company is bad.
- Ce produit est mauvais pour l'environnement.This product is bad for the environment.
- Le film que nous avons vu hier soir n'était pas terrible.The movie we saw last night was not good at all.
- Ton idée pour le projet, c'est pas terrible.Your idea for the project is not great.
- Le café de ce café-bar est vraiment pourri.The coffee at this café-bar is really bad.
- Ce livre est pourri, il n'en vaut pas la peine.This book is rotten, it's not worth it.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a bakery looking at some pastries.
- GabrielCe pain n'est pas bon.This bread is not good.
- ManonC'est vrai, il est trop dur.It's true, it is too hard.
- GabrielTu as raison, Manon.You are right, Manon.
- ManonCherchons un autre endroit.Let's look for another place.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
