le repas était délicieux
le repas était délicieux is the French way to say "the meal was delicious".
This phrase is used to state that the food eaten during a meal tasted very good.
Which one should you use?
While le repas était délicieux describes the quality of the experience, using the passé composé le repas a été délicieux would instead emphasize the meal as a completed, specific event. In casual conversation, speakers often omit the subject and simply say c'était délicieux to mean "it was delicious".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Le repas était exquis is a formal way to express that the meal was exquisite. For a more informal and idiomatic way to say the meal was a great pleasure, you can use c'était un régal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, it is common to use C'était succulent to describe a delicious meal. In Quebec, Canada, the informal expression C'était ben bon means "It was really good".
Did you know?
- If you describe a person as délicieux instead of the meal, you might accidentally sound flirtatious or suggestive rather than merely complimentary.
- The phrase C'était un régal can be used to describe a non-food experience, such as a wonderful piece of music or a great conversation, meaning it was a 'treat' for the senses.
- The word délicieux did not evolve through common spoken French dialects, but was a 'learned borrowing' directly imported from Late Latin.
Examples in context
- Merci, le repas était délicieux !Thank you, the meal was delicious!
- Je pense que le repas était délicieux.I think that the meal was delicious.
Example conversation
A couple is finishing a dinner at a restaurant.
- NathanTu as aimé ton dîner ?Did you like your dinner?
- EmmaOui, le repas était délicieux.Yes, the meal was delicious.
- NathanJe suis content que tu aies aimé.I am glad you liked it.
- EmmaC'était vraiment parfait.It was truly perfect.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries délicieux, le, repas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
