ça a l'air bon
The English phrase 'something looks good' is translated into French as ça a l'air bon.
You use ça a l'air bon when reacting to the visual appearance of food or a drink to suggest that it appears to be high quality or tasty. For more intense praise regarding food, you might use ça a l'air délicieux to say it looks particularly delicious.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from ça (it/that), a (has), l'air (the air/appearance) and bon (good). Literally, it translates to 'it has the air good'.
Which one should you use?
While ça a l'air bon is common for general appearance, ça a l'air délicieux is a stronger way to express that food looks particularly tasty.
Did you know?
- In French, you cannot simply say ça regarde bon to mean something looks good, as the verb regarder refers to the act of looking rather than the appearance of the object.
- The word ça is a shortened version of cela, which itself is a combination of ce meaning 'this' and là meaning 'there'.
- While bon means 'good', using it to describe food specifically refers to the taste, whereas bien describes the quality or manner of something.
Examples in context
- La nouvelle robe que vous portez est vraiment élégante!The new dress you're wearing is truly elegant!
- Ton nouvel ordinateur portable est vraiment chouette!Your new laptop is really cool!
- Ton nouveau tatouage, ça en jette!Your new tattoo looks impressive!
- Ta nouvelle coupe de cheveux est vraiment canon!Your new haircut is amazing!
- Ce gâteau, ça a l'air bon.This cake, it looks good.
- Ça a l'air bon, tu as fait ça ?It looks good, did you make that?
- Regarde ce plat, ça a l'air bon !Look at this dish, it looks good!
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- ChloéLe poulet rôti, ça a l'air bon.The roast chicken looks good.
- NathanJe suis d'accord, je vais prendre ça.I agree, I'll take that.
- ChloéMoi aussi, je commande la même chose.Me too, I'll order the same thing.
- NathanC'est un excellent choix, Chloé.That's an excellent choice, Chloé.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, bon, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
