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All about the French phrase "C'est bon"

You are going to discover all the things you need to know about the basic phrase "C'est bon". Including a full explanation of what it is and how to use it in a normal conversation with an audio example. But, we also added some useful informations like synonym, dialogue example, slow pronunciation audio and more!


French to English

  • Translation : That's all right / That's good

  • Register : Neutral - Basic

How to pronounce?

Slow

Normal

  • IPA : / sɛ bɔ̃ /

aesthetic french quote cest bon

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What does c'est bon mean?

Definition

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).

How to use it

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 fact

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

Some antonyms:

↓ Example in a story with slow audio ↓

Finally, let's see an example in a parallel story with slow audio.

Des cupcakes dangereux

Dangerous cupcakes

KarineRémi ! Tu peux venir s'il te plaît ?
Rémi! Can you come please?
RémiJ'arrive ! T'es où ?
I'm coming! Where are you?
KarineDans la cuisine !
In the kitchen!
RémiVoilà, je suis là.
Here I am.
KarineJ'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?
RémiBien sûr !
Of course!
KarineParfait, 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...
KarineAlors ? Tu les aimes ?
So? You like them?
Rémi hoche la tête avec incertitude...
Rémi nods with uncertainty...
KarineTu 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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