You’re sitting at a bistro in Bordeaux. The steak arrives, but it’s gray, tough, and tastes like a gym shoe. You want to tell the waiter it’s just not good in French, so you reach for the most obvious translation: C'est pas bon. Technically? You aren't wrong.
But you sound like a textbook from 1994.
French is a language of nuance, attitude, and very specific grumbles. If you use pas bon for everything from a bad movie to a rude coworker, you're missing the linguistic texture that makes French so expressive. Real French speakers have about twenty different ways to describe something sub-par, depending on whether they are annoyed, disgusted, or just mildly disappointed.
The Trap of Literal Translation
Language learners love a shortcut. We want a one-to-one swap for every English phrase. In English, "not good" is a Swiss Army knife. It covers a bad haircut, a failing economy, and a sour grape.
French doesn't work that way.
The phrase pas bon is almost exclusively reserved for taste or physical sensations. If you say a movie is pas bon, a French person will understand you, but they'll probably cringe a little bit. It sounds childish, like a toddler pushing away a plate of broccoli.
To really master how to express that something is not good in French, you have to categorize your disappointment. Is it poor quality? Is it morally wrong? Is it just "meh"?
When the Food is Truly Awful
Let’s stay at that bistro for a second. If the food is genuinely bad, ce n'est pas bon is your baseline. But locals usually go further.
If it’s disgusting, the go-to word is dégueulasse. It’s a bit vulgar—think "gross" or "revolting"—so maybe don't say it directly to the chef unless you want a kitchen knife thrown at you. A slightly softer version is mauvais.
- C'est mauvais. (It's bad.)
- C'est immangeable. (It's inedible.)
Notice how the French lean into the specific reason why it’s not good. If the wine is vinegar-ish, it’s pique. If the bread is stale, it’s rassis. Simply saying "not good" is lazy. The French language rewards your complaints when they are precise.
Describing People and Situations
This is where beginners get tripped up. You can't really call a person pas bon unless you’re talking about their skills in a very narrow sense, like a soccer player who can’t hit the ball. Even then, it’s awkward.
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If a person is "not good" (as in, they are a bad person), you’d use méchant (mean) or mauvais.
But what about a situation? Let's say your car broke down. That’s not good in French. You wouldn’t say c'est pas bon. You’d say C'est la galère or C'est nul.
Nul is the undisputed king of French negativity.
It translates roughly to "rubbish" or "zero." It’s the ultimate way to dismiss a boring party, a bad book, or a flawed plan. If you want to sound like a local, start using nul for everything that fails to meet your expectations.
The Art of the "Pas Top"
There is a specific level of French "not good" that isn't a total disaster, but it’s definitely not great.
This is the land of Pas top.
French people love to understate things. Instead of saying something is bad, they often say it’s "not the top" or "not great."
- C'est pas terrible. (Wait for it... this actually means it's bad. Even though "terrible" looks like the English word, in this negative construction, it means "not great.")
- C'est bof. (This is more of a sound than a word, accompanied by a shrug. It means "it’s whatever" or "it's not good.")
Honestly, the "Gallic Shrug" does about 40% of the work when you're trying to communicate that something is not good in French. If you combine a downward pout with a quick bof, you’ve communicated more than a five-minute rant ever could.
Nuance Matters: Mauvais vs. Pas Bon
We need to talk about the grammar for a second, even if it's boring. Bon is an adjective, and bien is an adverb. This is the classic trap.
"I don't feel good" isn't Je ne me sens pas bon. That sounds like you’re saying you don't taste delicious. You want Je ne me sens pas bien.
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If you describe a performance as not good in French, you’re looking at ce n'est pas bien joué. Using bon here makes you sound like you’re describing the physical quality of the actors' skin or something equally weird.
Using Slang to Express Disappointment
If you’re hanging out with people under the age of 40, "not good" takes on a whole new vocabulary.
C'est naze. C'est bidon. C'est pourri. (Literally: It's rotten.)
These are the words you’ll hear in the streets of Paris or Lyon. If someone tries to sell you a fake watch, it’s un plan bidon. If the weather is grey and rainy for the fifth day in a row, the weather is pourri.
The word naze is particularly useful. It’s light, slangy, and perfectly captures that feeling of something being lame. A party with no music? C'est naze. A phone that keeps crashing? Il est naze.
The Cultural Weight of Criticism
Why is there so much variety for "not good" in French?
Culturally, the French are perfectionists. There is a deep-seated tradition of critical thinking and intellectual rigor. In American English, we tend to lean toward the positive—everything is "great" or "awesome," and if it isn't, it’s "okay."
In France, the "okay" is the baseline, and anything below that is scrutinized. Being able to articulate exactly why something is not good in French isn't just about vocabulary; it’s about participating in the culture of the critique.
When you say something is pas mal (not bad), that’s actually a high compliment. Conversely, when you say something is pas terrible, you are essentially saying it's a failure. It’s an inverted world where the negatives carry more weight than the positives.
How to Avoid Sounding Like a Tourist
If you want to stop being the person who just says pas bon, you need to start listening for the "degré de mécontentement" (the degree of dissatisfaction).
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- For quality: Use médiocre or de mauvaise qualité.
- For vibes: Use nul or naze.
- For health: Use je ne suis pas bien or je ne me sens pas au top.
- For ethics: Use ce n'est pas bien or c'est mal.
Imagine you're at a museum and the art is just... ugly. Saying ce n'est pas bon makes it sound like you tried to eat the paintings. Say c'est moche (it's ugly) or c'est sans intérêt (it's uninteresting).
Practical Steps for Better Expression
To move past the basic "not good," you have to immerse yourself in the way locals vent. Watch French YouTubers or listen to podcasts where people debate. You'll notice they rarely use the word "bon" in a negative context unless they are talking about a literal sandwich.
Start practicing these transitions tonight:
- Swap "C'est pas bon" for "C'est vraiment pas terrible" when talking about a movie.
- Swap "Il est pas bon" for "Il est nul ce mec" when talking about a rude guy.
- Swap "C'est pas bon" for "C'est naze" when your favorite app updates and the UI sucks.
The goal isn't just to be understood—it's to be felt. When you use the right level of "not good," you aren't just a student; you're a participant in the conversation. You’re showing that you understand the stakes.
Next time you encounter something that misses the mark, take a breath, do the shrug, and reach for a word that actually fits the crime. Your French friends will respect the honesty, and you'll feel a lot more like yourself in a second language.
The move from pas bon to nul or médiocre is a small step for your vocabulary, but a massive leap for your fluency. Stop settling for the easy translation and start leaning into the rich, grumpy, beautiful reality of the French language.
Actions You Can Take Now
- Listen for the Shrug: Watch a French film and count how many times they use "pas terrible" versus "pas bon." It's an eye-opener.
- Update Your Flashcards: Delete the generic "not good" and replace it with "nul (for things)" and "mauvais (for quality)."
- Try the "Pas Top" Test: Next time someone asks how you are and you’re just "okay," say "C'est pas le top." It’s a very natural way to express a slump without being overly dramatic.
- Practice the Pout: Seriously. The facial expression helps you hit the right intonation for words like bof and naze. It sounds silly, but phonetics are tied to physical movement.
Mastering these variations ensures you’ll never be stuck for words when things go wrong. Whether it’s a cold soup or a boring date, you now have the tools to complain with true Parisian flair.
The evolution of your French depends on your willingness to be specific. Avoid the generic, embrace the slang when appropriate, and always remember that in France, a well-placed "c'est nul" is worth a thousand textbook phrases.
By differentiating between a physical taste and a situational failure, you avoid the most common pitfalls that mark someone as a permanent beginner. French is a language that lives in the details. Don't let your "not good" be "not good" because you didn't have the right word. Use the nuances, embrace the critical spirit, and your conversations will instantly become more authentic.
Next time you’re tempted to say c'est pas bon, pause. Ask yourself: is it nul, naze, or just pas terrible? The answer will change how people see your fluency forever.
Authentic communication isn't about being perfect; it's about being precise. Go out there and be precisely disappointed. It’s the most French thing you can do.