All about the French phrase "C'est bon"

On this page, we are going to explain you everything you have to know about the basic phrase “C’est bon”.

This include a detailed guide of what it is and how to use it in everyday life with an audio example. Along with the cool stuff we sprinkled like dialogue example, slow pronunciation audio and more!

Finally, you can find our others phrases guides on this page and the complete directory of all our French words tutorials on this page. Ready to learn? C’est parti ! (Let’s go!)

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French to English

How to pronounce?

Slow pronunciation

Normal pronunciation

What does c'est bon mean?

Definition

The literal meaning is:

  • C’est → It is
  • Bon → Good

It generally means “It’s good” in English, but not always depending on context, as you will see in the next paragraph.

Also, people often think “C’est bon” and “C’est bien” are synonyms, but this is not true. Because the adverb “bien” means “well” and the adjective “bon” means “good” and so we don’t use them in the same situations.

A good rule of thumb is that you should use “C’est bien” if talking about general things and “C’est bon” if talking about physical sensations (a.k.a. body sensations).

How to use

Let’s see the different usages with some examples!

Scenario 1: it means “It’s good” when talking about food, weather or pretty much anything. For example while eating a burger “C’est bon ça” (That’s good) or “C’est bon, ce burger” (This burger is good) or even just “C’est bon” (It’s good)

Scenario 2: it means “It’s done” or “That’s enough” when you want to say that you had enough of something or something is completed. For example: “C’est bon, j’ai fini mes devoirs” (It’s done, I finished my homeworks) or if someone is pouring you water: “C’est bon, merci” (It’s enough, thanks).

In this case, with the right tone, it can also show exasperation, for example: “C’est bon arrête !” (That’s enough, stop it!)

Scenario 3: it could mean “It’s right” / “It’s correct“. For example, someone asks: “C’est bon ce que j’ai fait ?” (Is what I did correct?) and you can answer “Oui, c’est bon” (Yes, it’s correct).

Fun stuff

Ok, I admit, there is a last scenario… a sexy one…

Remember when I told you that “C’est bon” means “That’s good“? Well, it’s true, but it’s also famous to be used during (good) sex and in porn movies.

But don’t worry, it doesn’t have a vulgar reputation and won’t be wrongly interpreted, you can use it without risks. But just know that it can be part of dirty talk too…

Synonyms and similarities

  • C’est bien. (“It’s good“)
  • C’est très bon. (“It’s very good“)
  • C’est trop bon. (“It’s too good“)
  • C’est si bon. (“It’s so good“)
  • Qu’est-ce que c’est bon. (“It’s so good“)
  • C’est vraiment bon. (“It’s really good“)
  • C’est tellement bon. (“It’s so good“)
  • C’est fait. (“It’s done“)

Some antonyms:

  • C’est pas bon. (“It’s not good“)
  • Ce n’est pas bon. (“It’s not good“)
  • C’est pas très bon. (“It’s not very good“)
  • C’est pas vraiment bon. (“It’s not really good“)

Example in a story with translation

Now, let’s see a complete example of this idiom in a story with slow French audio and the English translation below.
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Des cupcakes dangereux
Dangerous cupcakes
___
Karine:   Rémi ! Tu peux venir s’il te plaît ?
Rémi! Can you come please?
Rémi:   J’arrive ! T’es où ?
I’m coming! Where are you?
Karine:   Dans la cuisine !
In the kitchen!
Rémi:   Voilà, je suis là.
Here I am.
Karine:   J’ai fait des cupcakes pour mes collègues, tu peux les goûter s’il te plaît ?
I made cupcakes for my colleagues, can you taste them please?
Rémi:   Bien sûr !
Of course!
Karine:   Parfait, essaie celui-là…
Perfect, try this one…
Rémi prend une bouchée et fait une drôle de tête…
Rémi takes a bite and makes a weird face…
Karine:   Alors ? Tu les aimes ?
So? You like them?
Rémi hoche la tête avec incertitude…
Rémi nods with uncertainty…
Karine:   Tu veux en essayer un autre ? Celui-là est avec des raisins.
You want to try another one? This one is with grapes.
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