pas très bon
The English phrase "not very good" is translated into French as pas très bon.
This phrase is used to describe something that is of low quality or is not satisfying. When you want to describe a person's skill in a specific activity, you use the preposition à along with the pronoun y, as in Je n'y suis pas très bon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pas (not), très (very) and bon (good).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use the feminine form pas très bonne for feminine nouns, the masculine plural form pas très bons for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form pas très bonnes for feminine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- The word pas originally meant 'a step' in Latin. Using it in a negative sentence was like saying 'not even a step', which eventually turned the word into a standard tool for negation.
- In casual spoken French, people often drop the ne part of the negation, leaving only pas très bon to convey the meaning.
- While bon means 'good', French uses a different word, bien, for 'well'. Confusing these two is a common mistake for learners when describing quality versus performance.
Examples in context
- Ce n'est pas très bon.That's not very good.This sentence is useful for saying that something is not very good using pas très bon.Tatoeba #3599231 by sacredceltic, translation #3594084 by CK
- Il n'y est pas très bon.He's not very good at it.This sentence is useful for saying that someone is not very good at a specific activity using pas très bon.Tatoeba #2266768 by sacredceltic, translation #2234866 by Hybrid
- Je n'y suis pas très bon.I'm not very good at it.This sentence is useful for saying that you are not very good at a specific activity using pas très bon.Tatoeba #2266773 by sacredceltic, translation #2234865 by Hybrid
- La qualité de ce produit n'est pas très bonne.The quality of this product is not very good.
- Le résultat obtenu est peu satisfaisant.The achieved result is not very satisfactory.
- Le film était pas terrible.The movie was not that good.
- La soirée n'était pas fameuse.The evening wasn't great.
- La chanson n'est pas top.The song is not great.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are eating at a new restaurant.
- LucasTu aimes ton plat ?Do you like your dish?
- LéaNon, c'est pas très bon.No, it is not very good.
- LucasDommage, moi je trouve ça correct.Too bad, I find it okay.
- LéaJe préfère l'autre restaurant.I prefer the other restaurant.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, pas, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
