You know how English has so many ways to say something is "cool"? From "awesome" to "lit" to "groovy," we're never short on options. Well, French is just the same! While cool (pronounced like the English word) is often used, there are many other fantastic French expressions to convey that something is truly great, stylish, or impressive.

Learning these different phrases will not only make you sound more like a native speaker but also help you express a wider range of emotions and nuances. So, get ready to expand your vocabulary and sound effortlessly chic!

Let’s dive into 9 ways to say "cool" in French!

The 'cool' (standard) – cool

The 'cool' (standard) – cool

Cool is one of the most widely used English loanwords in French, signifying something pleasant, relaxed, or fashionable.

Directly borrowed from English, cool has been seamlessly integrated into everyday French vocabulary.

While informal, cool is incredibly versatile and understood across almost all age groups and social contexts, making it a go-to word for expressing approval or describing something positive.

One of the key things to remember about cool is that it is invariable. Unlike most French adjectives, it does not change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. It always remains cool.

Most commonly, cool functions as an adjective. You can use it to describe people, objects, situations, or ideas. For example, C'est cool (That's cool) or Une personne cool (A cool person).

Cool can also be used as an interjection, much like in English, to express agreement, approval, or understanding. For instance, if someone suggests a plan, you might simply reply, Cool !

While cool often describes something generally pleasing or agreeable, a word like sympa (short for sympathique) is more specifically used for people, meaning 'nice' or 'friendly'. Cool can describe a person, but it often implies a more relaxed, modern, or fashionable vibe than sympa.

You'll often hear C'est super cool ! (That's super cool!), Ce serait cool de... (It would be cool to...), or Un endroit cool (A cool place).

💡 * C'est super cool !

J'ai passé un moment cool.

Tu es vraiment cool.

Cool, on se voit demain !

Ce serait cool de partir en vacances.

The 'awesome' or 'great' – génial/géniale

In French, when you want to express that something is 'awesome', 'great', 'brilliant', or 'fantastic', the go-to adjective is often génial.

Génial is incredibly versatile and used frequently in everyday conversation to convey strong positive feelings about a person, an object, an event, or an idea. It's a powerful way to show enthusiasm.

Like many French adjectives, génial agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The masculine singular form is génial, the feminine singular is géniale, the masculine plural is géniaux, and the feminine plural is géniales. Be careful with the plural for masculine nouns, as it's irregular: génial -> géniaux.

You'll hear génial used in a wide range of situations, from describing a fantastic meal to an incredible concert, or even a wonderful person. It's a simple yet effective way to praise something.

While there are other adjectives like super or formidable, génial often carries a slightly stronger or more enthusiastic tone, making it perfect for expressing genuine delight or admiration.

Mastering génial will significantly enhance your ability to express joy and appreciation in French, making your conversations more lively and authentic. It's truly a génial word to know!

💡 * Ce film est génial ! (This movie is awesome!)

Elle a eu une idée géniale. (She had a brilliant idea.)

Ces vacances étaient géniales. (These holidays were great.)

Les nouveaux ordinateurs sont géniaux. (The new computers are awesome.)

C'est une personne géniale. (He/She is an awesome person.)

The 'super' – super

The word super in French is a wonderfully versatile and incredibly common term that you'll hear and use frequently.

It generally translates to 'great,' 'awesome,' 'fantastic,' or 'super,' and expresses strong positive approval.

One of the best things about super is that it's invariable. This means it doesn't change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies, making it very easy to use.

Most often, you'll encounter super used as an adjective. It can modify both masculine and feminine, singular and plural nouns without any alteration.

While less common, super can also function as an adverb, intensifying another adjective or adverb, much like 'really' or 'very' in English, but with a more enthusiastic tone.

Super carries a casual, enthusiastic, and often informal tone. It's perfect for everyday conversations and expressing genuine excitement.

Learning to use super will instantly make your French sound more natural and expressive, adding a touch of enthusiasm to your speech.

💡 * C'est super ! (It's super / That's great!)

J'ai passé une journée super. (I had a super day.)

Ces gâteaux sont super bons. (These cakes are super good.)

Elle est super gentille. (She is super nice.)

C'est un film super. (It's a great movie.)

The 'nice' or 'great' (informal) – chouette

The "nice" or "great" (informal) – chouette

Chouette is an informal French adjective meaning "nice", "great", "cool", or "lovely".

Unlike most French adjectives, chouette is invariable, meaning its form does not change to agree with the gender or number of the noun it describes. It remains chouette for masculine, feminine, singular, and plural.

It's a versatile word often used to express positive appreciation for people, things, or situations. It can also function as an exclamation, similar to "Great!" or "Cool!"

💡 * C'est chouette ! (It's great!)

Quelle chouette idée ! (What a great idea!)

Tes nouvelles chaussures sont chouettes. (Your new shoes are cool.)

Il est vraiment chouette, ton ami. (He's really nice, your friend.)

On a passé un moment chouette. (We had a great time.)

The 'nice' or 'friendly' (informal) – sympa

Sympa is an informal, shortened version of the French adjective sympathique, meaning 'nice,' 'friendly,' or 'pleasant.'

It's a very common and versatile adjective used in everyday conversations to describe people, things, or situations that are agreeable.

One of its convenient features is that sympa is invariable in form, meaning it doesn't change for gender or number. It's always sympa, whether you're talking about a male friend, a female friend, or a group of people.

You'll hear sympa used for a wide range of subjects. Someone can be très sympa (very nice), a restaurant can be sympa (pleasant), or an idea can be sympa (a good idea).

This word is a staple in French casual conversation. Don't hesitate to use it to express approval or describe something or someone positively in informal settings.

💡 *Il est vraiment sympa, ton nouveau collègue. (Your new colleague is really nice.)
*Cette soirée était super sympa ! (This evening was really pleasant!)
*Tu as l'air sympa. (You seem friendly.)
*C'est une idée sympa. (That's a nice idea.)
*Mes voisins sont très sympas. (My neighbors are very friendly.)

The 'stylish' or 'trendy' (informal) – stylé/stylée

Want to say something is 'stylish,' 'cool,' or 'trendy' in French? The go-to informal adjective is stylé (masculine) or stylée (feminine).

Literally meaning 'styled,' stylé/stylée is widely used to describe someone's appearance, an outfit, an object, an idea, or even a way of doing things that is considered fashionable, chic, or just plain cool. It implies a certain flair or good taste, often with a modern edge.

As an adjective, stylé/stylée must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So you'll see it as stylé (masculine singular), stylée (feminine singular), stylés (masculine plural), and stylées (feminine plural).

You'll hear stylé/stylée frequently in casual conversations, especially among younger people, to compliment someone's look, a new gadget, or even a cool plan. It's a versatile word for expressing approval of something's aesthetic or concept.

While informal, stylé/stylée is very common and generally well-understood across different age groups, particularly in contemporary French. It's a safe and effective way to express that something is 'on point' or fashionable without being overly formal.

💡 * Ton nouveau sac est super stylé ! (Your new bag is super stylish!)

Elle a une tenue vraiment stylée ce soir. (She has a really trendy outfit tonight.)

C'est une idée stylée pour la fête. (That's a cool idea for the party.)

Ces chaussures sont trop stylées ! (These shoes are so stylish!)

Leur appartement est très stylé, j'adore. (Their apartment is very stylish, I love it.)

The 'trendy' or 'hip' (informal) – branché/branchée

To describe someone or something as 'trendy' or 'hip' in an informal French context, you'd use the adjective branché (masculine) or branchée (feminine).

Literally meaning 'plugged in' or 'connected,' branché implies being up-to-date with the latest trends, fashion, music, or technology. It's a very common adjective in modern spoken French.

Like most French adjectives, branché must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So, for a trendy man, it's branché, for a trendy woman, branchée, for trendy men, branchés, and for trendy women, branchées.

💡 * Ce café est vraiment branché, tout le monde y va. (This café is really trendy, everyone goes there.)

Ma sœur est très branchée mode. (My sister is very hip with fashion.)

Ils sont toujours au courant des dernières tendances, ils sont super branchés. (They are always aware of the latest trends, they are super hip.)

Tu as vu sa nouvelle coiffure ? Elle est super branchée ! (Did you see her new hairstyle? It's super trendy!)

The 'excellent' or 'amazing' (slang) – canon

In French slang, the word canon is a versatile and popular term used to describe something or someone as 'excellent,' 'amazing,' 'gorgeous,' or 'really cool.' It's a casual but widely understood expression.

One of its most frequent uses is to describe a person or an object as exceptionally attractive or beautiful. Think of it as meaning 'hot,' 'stunning,' or 'gorgeous.' For instance, you might hear someone say Elle est canon ! to mean 'She's gorgeous!'

Beyond physical appearance, canon can also be applied to almost anything that is remarkably good, impressive, or fun. A great movie, a delicious meal, or a fantastic party could all be described as canon.

An important point for learners: when used in this slang sense, canon is an invariable adjective. This means it doesn't change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. It always remains canon.

💡 * Cette nouvelle chanson est canon ! (This new song is amazing!)

Il est canon dans son nouveau costume. (He looks great/hot in his new suit.)

La soirée d'hier était canon. (Yesterday's party was amazing.)

Ton idée est vraiment canon. (Your idea is really excellent.)

The 'on top' or 'excellent' (informal) – au top

The French expression au top literally translates to 'at the top,' but its common usage is much more versatile and informal. It's used to convey that something is 'excellent,' 'perfect,' 'great,' or 'on point.'

This phrase is highly informal and widely used in casual conversations among friends, family, and colleagues. It's a quick and enthusiastic way to express satisfaction or approval, similar to saying 'awesome' or 'spot on' in English.

Au top can describe a variety of things: a situation, a person's mood, an event, or even a product or service. It implies that everything is going well or is of the highest quality.

You'll often hear it to describe a good mood (Je suis au top ! - I'm feeling great!), a successful event (La soirée était au top ! - The party was excellent!), or even someone's appearance (Ta nouvelle coupe de cheveux est au top ! - Your new haircut is great!).

💡 *Comment vas-tu ? – Je suis au top ! (How are you? – I'm feeling great!)
*La présentation était vraiment au top. (The presentation was really excellent.)
*Ton nouveau look est au top ! (Your new look is on point!)
*Le service client était au top, comme d'habitude. (The customer service was excellent, as usual.)
*On a passé une journée au top à la plage. (We had an excellent day at the beach.)

Are there other ways to say 'cool' in French?

Are there other ways to say “cool” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “cool” in French. But French, especially its slang, is incredibly rich and dynamic, with new expressions emerging all the time. There are always more terms, from regional ones to up-and-coming slang that even this author might not be aware of!

You can also do an online search for comment dire cool en ___ followed by a specific Francophone country or region, or even argot français cool.

You might find some interesting synonyms for cool on this list. As always, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it, especially with slang, which can change quickly!

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — especially movies, music, and social media. You may discover new and interesting ways to talk about things being ‘cool’.

And if you’re curious about even more slang or regional variations for ‘cool’, the WordReference entry for cool and related terms is a great place to begin your exploration.

I hope this article helped you discover some super ways to say ‘cool’ in French! Keep practicing, and you'll soon be speaking like a native. As the French proverb says, 'Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.' (Little by little, the bird builds its nest.) – Keep building your French vocabulary!