pas bien
pas bien is the French way to say "not well".
pas bien is used to describe feeling sick or being in a poor state of health. When talking about a person's health, it is often used with the verb aller (to go/to be) rather than être (to be). For example, you can say Je me sens assez malade to mean "I feel quite sick".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pas (not) and bien (well).
Which one should you use?
While pas bien can refer to a person's health, it is also frequently used to mean "not good" when evaluating the quality of an object or an event.
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal written French, the negation pas bien is preceded by the particle ne, such as in the phrase Je ne vais pas bien.
Did you know?
- The word pas originally meant 'a step'. It was used in negative sentences to say that something did not happen 'by a single step' before it became a general word for 'not'.
- If a parent tells a child C'est pas bien, they are not commenting on the child's health or the quality of an object, but are stating that the behavior is 'naughty' or 'morally wrong'.
- The word bien is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'benefit', as both derive from the Latin root bene, meaning 'well'.
Examples in context
- Je ne vais pas bien.I'm not well.This sentence shows how to use pas bien.Tatoeba #1195072 by sacredceltic, translation #1474222 by al_ex_an_der
- Le festival n'était pas bien organisé.The festival was not well organised.This sentence uses pas bien to describe an event that was not well organised.Tatoeba #11171216 by lbdx, translation #5045579 by alexcasper
- « Comment ça s'est passé ? » « Pas bien. »"How did it go?" "Not well."This example shows a short response using pas bien.Tatoeba #11245679 by Micsmithel, translation #2948155 by Hybrid
- Excusez-moi, mais je ne me sens pas bien aujourd'hui, pourriez-vous me laisser partir plus tôt?Excuse me, but I'm not feeling well today, could you let me leave earlier?
- Je suis malade et ne pourrai pas assister à la réunion demain.I am sick and won't be able to attend the meeting tomorrow.
- Je me sens pas super aujourd'hui, je pense que je vais rester à la maison.I don't feel great today, I think I'll stay home.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are talking at the office.
- HugoÇa va, Emma ?Are you doing okay, Emma?
- EmmaJe ne me sens pas bien.I don't feel well.
- HugoTu as besoin d'un médecin ?Do you need a doctor?
- EmmaOui, je vais rentrer chez moi.Yes, I am going to go home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
