pas mal
/pa mal/
The English phrase "pretty good" can be expressed in French using pas mal.
pas mal is used to describe something that is of a satisfactory or high quality. It is often used as a litotes, meaning that when a speaker says something is "not bad," they actually imply it is quite good or even very good.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "not bad".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pas mal is an informal and very common way to say "pretty good." For a more formal manner, you can use Tout à fait satisfaisant(e) to mean "entirely satisfactory" or Relativement bien to mean "relatively well." In informal settings, you might also use Pas mal du tout to mean "not bad at all."
How does it change in a sentence?
Be careful with the meaning when adding a preposition: if you follow the phrase with de, the meaning changes from "pretty good" to "quite a lot of" or "many" (for example, pas mal de gens means "quite a lot of people").
How do you pronounce it?
/pa mal/
Did you know?
- In older versions of French, speakers could use the words for 'a drop' goutte or 'a crumb' mie instead of pas to create a negative phrase.
- French utilizes a system of double negatives and understatements to avoid sounding too boastful, which makes pas mal a socially safe way to praise someone.
- In casual conversation, French speakers often use pas mal with a specific rising intonation to signal that they are actually very impressed.
Examples in context
- Ce n'est pas mal.That's pretty good.This sentence shows how to use pas mal to say something is pretty good.Tatoeba #4839222 by sacredceltic, translation #2251198 by CK
- Je l'ai trouvé pas mal.I thought it was pretty good.This sentence is useful for expressing that you thought something was pretty good using pas mal.Tatoeba #12921775 by lbdx, translation #2490707 by Hybrid
- Je pense que c'est plutôt pas mal.I think it's pretty good.This sentence demonstrates using pas mal to express an opinion that something is pretty good.Tatoeba #12041759 by zogwarg, translation #7136489 by CK
- Le repas était assez bonThe meal was pretty good
- La présentation était tout à fait satisfaisanteThe presentation was pretty good
- Le travail était relativement bien faitThe work was pretty well done
- Le film était pas malThe movie was pretty good
- La soirée était plutôt bienThe evening was pretty good
- Le repas au restaurant était pas mal du toutThe meal at the restaurant was pretty good
- Je trouve cette idée assez bonne.I find this idea pretty good.
- La soirée chez Luc était pas mal du tout !The evening at Luc's place was pretty good!
- Le film était tout à fait satisfaisant.The movie was pretty good.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing a movie they just watched.
- HugoTu as aimé le film ?Did you like the movie?
- LéaOui, je l'ai trouvé pas mal.Yes, I thought it was pretty good.
- HugoAh bon ? Moi, j'ai adoré !Oh really? I loved it!
- LéaC'est vrai, mais c'était pas mal pour un début.True, but it was pretty good for a start.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pas mal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, pas, pas mal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
