le repas était bon
In French, "the food was good" is expressed as le repas était bon.
This phrase is used to say that a meal tasted pleasant. While a literal translation of the English phrase might be la nourriture était bonne, le repas était bon is more natural when referring to a specific meal or dining experience.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'the meal was good' rather than using the word for 'food' (la nourriture).
Which one should you use?
While la nourriture était bonne is a literal translation of 'the food was good', le repas était bon is more natural when referring to a specific meal or dining experience. In casual conversation, French speakers often simplify the phrase to c'était bon (it was good) when the context of the meal is already understood.
Did you know?
- If you call a meal bon in a fancy restaurant, you might actually sound slightly unimpressed, as the word is often seen as a basic level of adequacy rather than high praise.
- The word repas comes from the Latin verb repascere, which means 'to feed' or 'to satisfy the hunger'. This connects your meal directly to the ancient act of satiating an appetite.
- French uses different words for 'good' based on whether it refers to a moral quality or a sensory pleasure. Bon is used for taste, whereas bien is used for behavior or correctness.
Examples in context
- Hier soir, nous avons dîné dans un restaurant étoilé. La nourriture était délicieuse, j'ai beaucoup aimé les saveurs subtiles des plats. Le chef a vraiment un talent exceptionnel.Last night, we had dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The food was delicious, I really enjoyed the subtle flavors of the dishes. The chef truly has exceptional talent.
- Nous étions chez mon ami Marc pour un barbecue cet après-midi. La bouffe était super bonne! Les grillades étaient vraiment délicieuses.We were at my friend Marc's for a barbecue this afternoon. The grub was really good! The grilled food was absolutely delicious.
- Merci, le repas était bon !Thank you, the meal was good!
- Je pense que le repas était bon.I think the meal was good.
- Merci, le repas était bon.Thank you, the meal was good.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are finishing dinner at a restaurant.
- ChloéAlors, qu'est-ce que tu as pensé du dîner ?So, what did you think of the dinner?
- LucasC'était super, le repas était bon !It was great, the food was good!
- ChloéJe suis d'accord avec toi, Lucas.I agree with you, Lucas.
- LucasOn devrait revenir ici bientôt.We should come back here soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, le, repas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
