super
/sy.pɛʁ/
In French, super is used to say super.
super is used as an adjective to express enthusiasm, amazement or approval, meaning better than usual.
Meaning: better than usual (adj)
Which one should you use?
In English, speakers often use super as an adverb (e.g., 'super fast'). However, in French, using super as an adverb is strictly informal. In formal contexts, one would use très or très bien.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
super is colloquial and is more common in spoken, informal French than in formal writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective meaning 'great' or 'excellent', super is invariable and does not take an e or s in its forms.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of super is /sy.pɛʁ/ and it has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- French speakers may use super ironically to mean the exact opposite, often accompanied by a shrug or a specific tone of voice to signal sarcasm.
- The word super is a doublet of the French preposition sur, meaning 'on' or 'above'. Both words trace their lineage back to the same Latin root.
- While super is used for enthusiasm, French has a different word superbe that means 'superb' or 'magnificent'. Using super instead of superbe in a formal art gallery might sound too casual.
Examples in context
- Ça a l'air super.That sounds super.This sentence shows how to express that something sounds great using super.Tatoeba #11634253 by Amastan, translation #10225211 by Amastan
- C'est une super idée.It is a super idea.This sentence demonstrates using super to describe an idea.Tatoeba #6548344 by Blabla, translation #6767931 by Eccles17
- Il fait un super boulot.He is doing a super job.This sentence shows how to use super to describe a job well done.Tatoeba #130063 by Barbiche0, translation #284521 by CK
- J'ai passé une super journée.I had a super day.
- Elle est super sympa.She is super nice.
- Ce film est super génial.This movie is super awesome.
- Il est super content.He is super happy.
- Je parle super bien anglais.I speak English super well.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about a movie they just saw.
- NathanLe film était super, non ?The movie was great, wasn't it?
- LéaOui, j'ai adoré l'histoire.Yes, I loved the story.
- NathanLe jeu d'acteur était aussi super.The acting was also great.
- LéaJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry super, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries super, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
