Which one should you use?
While Quelque chose est génial literally means 'Something is awesome', native speakers are much more likely to use the impersonal C'est génial (It is awesome) to express enthusiasm about a situation or object.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal contexts, you can use C'est remarquable to mean 'It's remarkable'. In casual spoken French, people often use C'est top instead of the more complete sentence Quelque chose est génial to express that something is awesome. C'est super is an informal expression meaning 'It's great' or 'It's super'. Additionally, C'est génial is an informal expression meaning 'It's awesome' or 'It's great'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, C'est fou is a colloquial expression meaning 'It's crazy' and is used to mean 'It's awesome'. In Quebec, C'est malade means 'It's sick' and is used to mean 'It's awesome'.
Did you know?
- In the word est, the 's' is silent, yet it is one of the only words in French where this silent internal 's' is preserved in modern spelling, a trait it shares only with the name Jésus-Christ.
- In Quebec, you can say C'est malade to mean 'It is awesome', which mirrors the way English speakers use the word 'sick' to describe something impressive.
- The word génial was once used only to describe intellectual brilliance and the quality of a genius, rather than a general feeling of excitement.
Examples in context
- La performance de danse était vraiment impressionnante.The dance performance was truly awesome.
- Le niveau de détail dans cette peinture est vraiment remarquable.The level of detail in this painting is truly awesome.
- Le concert hier soir était super !The concert last night was awesome!
- J'ai passé une journée géniale à la plage.I had an awesome day at the beach.
- La nouvelle chanson du groupe est vraiment folle !The band's new song is really awesome!
- J'ai vu un coucher de soleil incroyable, c'était trop ouf !I saw an incredible sunset, it was so awesome!
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are exploring a new city.
- GabrielRegarde cette place, Chloé !Look at this square, Chloé!
- ChloéC'est vrai, quelque chose est génial ici.It's true, something is awesome here.
- GabrielOn reste encore un peu ?Shall we stay a bit longer?
- ChloéOui, je suis d'accord.Yes, I agree.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chose, est, quelque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
