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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!)
The literal meaning is:
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).
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).
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…
Some antonyms:
