comme ci, comme ça
The English phrase "so so" can be expressed in French as comme ci, comme ça.
The expression comme ci, comme ça is used to indicate that something is neither very good nor very bad. Other informal ways to express a lukewarm or indifferent feeling include Bof, which conveys a lackluster opinion or Pas top, used to describe something that is not particularly good but not terrible.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase comme ci, comme ça literally means "like this, like that", composed of comme (like), ci (this/here), comme (like) and ça (that/that).
What mistakes should you avoid?
While comme ci, comme ça is a known expression, a more natural way for a native speaker to express that something is "okay" or "so-so" is to say pas mal.
Did you know?
- In many parts of the French-speaking world, you can convey the meaning of comme ci, comme ça without speaking at all by tilting your head and moving your hand from side to side.
- While English speakers often learn comme ci, comme ça in classrooms, native French speakers rarely use it in daily conversation, often viewing it as a cliché used by foreigners.
- In French, bof is an onomatopoeic expression that mimics the sound of a sigh of indifference or boredom.
Examples in context
- « Alors, comment vont les choses ? » « Comme ci, comme ça. »"How is it going?" "So-so."This example shows how to use comme ci, comme ça to respond to a question about how things are going.Tatoeba #11245716 by Micsmithel, translation #10616340 by maaster
- Le film était moyenThe movie was so so
- Ça va, comme ci, comme çaIt's going so so
- BofSo so
- C'était pas topIt was so so
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about a restaurant they visited.
- LéaEst-ce que le repas était bon ?Was the meal good?
- GabrielC'était comme ci, comme ça.It was so so.
- LéaTu n'as pas beaucoup aimé ?You didn't like it much?
- GabrielNon, c'était très moyen.No, it was very mediocre.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
