Génial is a common and versatile way to say "great" in French, but the language offers a rich tapestry of other options to express enthusiasm, approval, or admiration. As you progress in your French learning journey, you'll find countless situations where you'll want to describe something as wonderful, excellent, or simply "great." Mastering these alternatives will not only enrich your vocabulary but also make your conversations sound much more natural and nuanced. Let's explore some fantastic ways to say "great" in French!

The standard 'great' – excellent/excellente

Excellent(e) is the most common and versatile word for 'great' or 'excellent' in French, signifying high quality or superiority.

Like many French adjectives, excellent(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here’s how it breaks down: * excellent: masculine singular (e.g., un film excellent) * excellente: feminine singular (e.g., une idée excellente) * excellents: masculine plural (e.g., des résultats excellents) * excellentes: feminine plural (e.g., des performances excellentes)

This adjective is widely applicable and suitable for both formal and informal contexts, making it a reliable choice when you want to express high praise or quality.

Beyond its literal meaning of 'excellent,' excellent(e) is used to convey high quality, skill, or strong approval for a wide range of subjects.

As a descriptive adjective, excellent(e) typically follows the noun it modifies (e.g., un repas excellent). However, for emphasis or in more literary styles, it can sometimes precede the noun (e.g., une excellente nouvelle – an excellent piece of news).

You'll frequently hear excellent(e) used with the verb être (to be) or avoir l'air (to seem/look), such as C'est excellent ! (It's great!) or Il a l'air excellent. (He looks excellent/great).

Excellent(e) is incredibly versatile. You can use it to describe almost anything: food, performances, ideas, people, experiences, news, and more, always indicating a high degree of quality or satisfaction.

To add even more emphasis, you can intensify excellent(e) with adverbs like vraiment (really), absolument (absolutely), or tout à fait (quite/completely), for example, C'est vraiment excellent ! (It's really great!).

💡 * Ce vin est excellent. (This wine is excellent.)

Son travail était excellent. (His work was excellent.)

C'est une excellente idée ! (That's an excellent idea!)

Elle est une excellente professeur. (She is an excellent teacher.)

Nous avons passé un excellent moment. (We had an excellent time.)

The common 'super' – super

In French, the word super is an extremely common and versatile term, often used to express enthusiasm, approval, or to intensify an adjective or verb. It translates roughly to “great,” “awesome,” “fantastic,” or “really good/well.”

One of the most notable characteristics of super is that it is invariable. This means it doesn't change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun or verb it modifies, unlike most French adjectives.

It can function both as an adjective (e.g., C'est super ! - It's great!) and as an adverb (e.g., Il chante super bien. - He sings super well. or really well). This flexibility makes it a go-to word for expressing positive sentiment.

Super carries a strong positive and informal connotation. It's often used in casual conversation among friends, family, and colleagues, conveying genuine excitement or approval. It's less formal than words like magnifique or excellent.

You'll frequently hear it in phrases like C'est super ! (That's great!), Super idée ! (Great idea!), or J'ai passé un super moment. (I had a great time.). It's an easy way to sound more natural in French.

💡 * C'est super, on va au cinéma ce soir ! (It's great, we're going to the cinema tonight!)

Elle a eu une super note à son examen. (She got a super grade on her exam.)

J'ai passé un super week-end. (I had a great weekend.)

Il parle français super bien. (He speaks French super well.)

Tu es super sympa. (You are super nice.)

The 'formidable' or 'impressive' – formidable

In French, the adjective formidable is a wonderfully versatile word that most often translates to 'great,' 'terrific,' 'wonderful,' or 'impressive.'

Unlike its English counterpart 'formidable,' which can often imply something daunting or awe-inspiring in a challenging way, the French formidable almost exclusively carries a strong positive connotation.

Think of formidable as meaning 'excellent,' 'amazing,' or 'fantastic.' It's a strong compliment or an enthusiastic description.

You can use formidable to describe people, places, experiences, or even objects that are exceptionally good, impressive, or pleasant.

A helpful characteristic of formidable is that it is invariable in gender, meaning it stays the same whether describing a masculine or feminine noun. However, it does take an 's' in the plural: formidable (singular) and formidables (plural).

💡 * C'est une idée formidable ! (That's a great idea!)* Il est un professeur formidable. (He is a wonderful teacher.)* Nous avons passé des vacances formidables. (We had a fantastic vacation.)* Ce film était formidable. (This movie was awesome.)

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

The adjective génial (masculine singular) or géniale (feminine singular) means “awesome,” “brilliant,” or “great” in French. It is a highly versatile and commonly used word to express strong positive approval.

Like many French adjectives, génial must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use génial for masculine singular nouns, géniale for feminine singular nouns. For plural forms, it becomes géniaux for masculine plural and géniales for feminine plural.

Génial is widely used in everyday conversation to describe people, objects, events, or ideas. It typically follows the noun it modifies, for example, une idée géniale (a brilliant idea). It can also be used as a standalone exclamation to mean “That’s awesome!” or “Great!”

This adjective carries a strong positive connotation, expressing enthusiasm and high praise. It's a more emphatic way to say something is excellent, fantastic, or superb, making it a popular choice in informal and even semi-formal contexts.

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

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

Tes nouvelles chaussures sont géniales. (Your new shoes are awesome.)

C'est génial de te voir ! (It's great to see you!)

Les vacances étaient géniales. (The holidays were brilliant.)

The 'magnificent' or ''splendid' – magnifique

The French adjective magnifique translates directly to 'magnificent' or 'splendid,' but it's also commonly used to mean 'beautiful,' 'wonderful,' or 'gorgeous.' It conveys a strong sense of admiration and positive impression.

One of its key strengths is its versatility. You can use magnifique to describe almost anything: a person, a landscape, a meal, an idea, a piece of art, or even an experience. It's a go-to word for expressing high praise.

Unlike many French adjectives, magnifique is invariable. This means it does not change its form to agree in gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) with the noun it modifies. It always stays 'magnifique'.

While words like beau/belle (beautiful) or bon/bonne (good) are common, magnifique elevates the compliment, expressing a higher degree of beauty, quality, or wonder. It implies something truly exceptional.

You'll frequently hear magnifique in exclamatory phrases, such as 'C'est magnifique !' ('It's magnificent!'), to express immediate and strong appreciation. It's a powerful and universally positive adjective.

💡 * C'est une vue magnifique ! (It's a magnificent view!)

Elle a fait un travail magnifique. (She did a wonderful job.)

Le concert était absolument magnifique. (The concert was absolutely splendid.)

Quel magnifique coucher de soleil ! (What a magnificent sunset!)

Ton idée est magnifique. (Your idea is magnificent.)

The 'fantastic' – fantastique

The French word fantastique directly translates to “fantastic” in English, and its primary meaning conveys something wonderful, marvelous, or great.

In everyday conversation, fantastique is a very common and versatile adjective used to express strong positive feelings. It can mean “awesome,” “amazing,” “great,” or “superb,” often used to describe experiences, people, or objects that are particularly good or impressive.

Beyond its general positive meaning, fantastique also refers to a specific literary and artistic genre, often translated as “fantasy” or “the fantastic.” This genre typically deals with the supernatural, the uncanny, or elements that disrupt the realistic world, distinct from pure science fiction or heroic fantasy.

Grammatically, fantastique is an adjective that generally follows the noun it modifies. For example, you would say une histoire fantastique (a fantastic story) rather than une fantastique histoire.

Using fantastique conveys a higher degree of enthusiasm or quality than simpler positive adjectives like bon (good) or sympa (nice). It implies something truly exceptional or delightful.

💡 * C'est fantastique ! (That's fantastic!)

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

Tu as fait un travail fantastique. (You did a fantastic job.)

J'adore les romans fantastiques. (I love fantastic/supernatural novels.)

Ce concert était absolument fantastique. (This concert was absolutely fantastic.)

The 'marvelous' or 'wonderful' – merveilleux/merveilleuse

The French adjective merveilleux/merveilleuse translates to “marvelous,” “wonderful,” or “magnificent.” It's used to describe something that inspires awe, wonder, or great admiration.

As an adjective, merveilleux must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use merveilleux for masculine singular nouns (e.g., un homme merveilleux) and merveilleuse for feminine singular nouns (e.g., une femme merveilleuse). For plural nouns, it becomes merveilleux (masculine plural) or merveilleuses (feminine plural).

This adjective is frequently used to express strong positive feelings about experiences, people, places, or things. It conveys a sense of delight and often implies something truly exceptional or enchanting.

💡 * C'est un merveilleux cadeau ! (It's a wonderful gift!)

Elle a une idée absolument merveilleuse. (She has an absolutely marvelous idea.)

Les paysages étaient merveilleux. (The landscapes were wonderful.)

Nous avons passé une soirée merveilleuse. (We had a marvelous evening.)

Quel homme merveilleux il est ! (What a wonderful man he is!)

The 'extraordinary' – extraordinaire

The 'extraordinary' – extraordinaire

As an adjective, extraordinaire means 'extraordinary,' 'remarkable,' or 'amazing.' It's a versatile word used to describe something truly exceptional, standing out from the ordinary.

While it can sometimes translate loosely to 'great' or 'fantastic,' extraordinaire carries a stronger sense of wonder and uniqueness. It implies something truly special, not just merely good, and is often used for things that are truly exceptional or unusual.

One helpful aspect of extraordinaire is that it's invariable in gender and number. Whether you're describing a singular masculine noun, a plural feminine noun, or anything in between, the spelling remains the same: extraordinaire.

💡 * C'est une performance extraordinaire. (It's an extraordinary performance.)

Nous avons passé des vacances extraordinaires. (We had an amazing vacation.)

Son courage est extraordinaire. (His courage is extraordinary.)

J'ai vu un film extraordinaire hier soir. (I saw an extraordinary film last night.)

1. The informal 'great' or 'cool' – chouette

The French word chouette is a wonderfully versatile and informal adjective used to express that something is "great," "cool," "nice," or "awesome." It's a common term in everyday French conversation, making your speech sound more natural and fluent.

One of the most convenient aspects of chouette is that it's an invariable adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree with the noun's gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural). Whether you're talking about a single cool guy or several great ideas, chouette remains the same.

You can use chouette to describe almost anything: a person, an object, an event, or a situation. It's typically used to convey positive feelings or approval, much like saying "that's cool!" or "how nice!" in English. It's a go-to word for expressing enthusiasm casually.

You'll often hear chouette in exclamations like C'est chouette ! ("That's great!" or "That's cool!") or Quelle idée chouette ! ("What a great idea!"). It's particularly prevalent in informal settings among friends and family, but generally avoided in very formal contexts.

💡 * C'est vraiment chouette, ton nouveau vélo ! (Your new bike is really cool!)

On a passé un moment chouette à la plage. (We had a great time at the beach.)

Elle a des amis très chouette. (She has very nice friends.)

Quelle histoire chouette tu m'as racontée ! (What a great story you told me!)

C'est chouette que tu puisses venir. (It's great that you can come.)

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

Our list has covered many common ways to express 'great' in French. However, the French language is incredibly rich, offering a wide array of synonyms, from formal to casual, and even regional expressions, some of which are constantly evolving!

To explore further, you might try an online search for 'comment dire super en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local nuances.

While exploring, you'll find numerous adjectives and phrases for 'great.' Always make sure to check their precise meaning and observe how native speakers use them in context before incorporating them into your vocabulary.

Immerse yourself in French media — books, films, music, and conversations. You'll naturally pick up on diverse and creative ways to say 'great' that aren't always found in textbooks.

For an extensive list of synonyms and related expressions, the WordReference entry for 'grand' or 'super' can be an excellent starting point, offering a wealth of options for different contexts.

I hope this article has broadened your understanding of how to express 'great' in French. Keep practicing, keep exploring, and soon you'll be using these expressions like a native speaker! As the French saying goes, 'Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.' (Little by little, the bird builds its nest.) – a perfect reminder that language mastery is built one word at a time.

9 ways to say "great" in French