|
|
bon/bien
Bon (good) is an adjective. Although it has an irregular feminine form,
bonne, the plural is formed regularly by adding an -s to the masculine or feminine adjective.
Bien (well, really, very) is an adverb. The adjective bon modifies a noun, whereas the adverb
bien modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
| adjective bon |
 |
| La cuisine de Tammy est bonne. |
|
Tammy's cooking is good. |
| Tammy est une bonne cuisinière. |
|
Tammy is a good cook. |
|
| adverb bien |
|
| Mmm ... Tammy fait bien la cuisine. |
|
Mmm ... Tammy cooks well. |
| Tammy lit la recette bien attentivement. |
|
Tammy reads the recipe very attentively. |
| Ooh, la soupe de Tammy est bien assaisonnée. |
|
Ooh, Tammy's soup is well-seasoned. |
|
meilleur/mieux
Comparisons with bon and bien are not formed regularly using 'plus ... que' (more ... than).
Instead use meilleur(e)(s) que, and mieux que:
| adjective bon/meilleur |
|
| Tammy est une meilleure cuisinière que Fiona. |
|
Tammy is a better cook than Fiona. |
| Les gâteaux de Tammy sont meilleurs que les gâteaux de Fiona. |
|
Tammy's cakes are better than Fiona's cakes. |
|
| adverb bien/mieux |
|
| Mais si, Tammy cuisine mieux que Fiona. |
|
But yes, Tammy cooks better than Fiona. |
| Et la soupe de Tammy est mieux assaisonnée que la soupe de Fiona. |
|
And Tammy's soup is better seasoned than Fiona's soup. |
|
The adverb bien is an intensifier and can be translatied as 'much' in English. Note that 'much better' is sometimes translated as
bien meilleur, sometimes as bien mieux.
|
| Tammy est bien meilleure cuisinière que Fiona. |
|
Tammy is a much better cook that Fiona. |
| Tammy fait bien mieux la cuisine qu Fiona. |
|
Tammy cooks much better than Fiona. |
|
aussi bon/aussi bien
Aussi bon que (comparisons with adjectives) conveys the idea of 'as good as'.
Aussi bien que (comparisons with adverbs) conveys the idea of 'as well as.'
| adjective bon/aussi bon que |
|
| Mais Bette est une aussi bonne cuisinière que Tammy. |
|
But Bette is as good a cook as Tammy. |
| La cuisine de Bette est aussi bonne que la cuisine de Tammy. |
|
Bette's cooking is as good as Tammy's. |
|
| adverb bien/aussi bien que |
|
| Bette cuisine aussi bien que Tammy. |
|
Bette cooks as well as Tammy. |
|
le meilleur/le mieux : superlative forms
In French as in English, the superlative is a form expressing a maximum or minimum quality or capacity.
In English, 'good' and 'well' have the same maximum superlative: 'the best'.
In French, however, the maximum superlatives are different; they are formed with the
definite articles le (la, les) meilleur(s) (superlative adjectives)
or le mieux (superlative adverbs). The minimum superlatives (le moins bon, le moins bien) are formed regularly.
| superlative adjectives |
|
| Qui fait la meilleure tarte? |
|
Who makes the best tart? |
| Qui fait les moins bonnes cuisses de grenouilles? |
|
Who makes the worst frog legs? |
|
| superlative adverbs |
|
| Qui cuisine le mieux? |
|
Who cooks (the) best? |
| Et qui cuisine le moins bien? |
|
And who cooks (the) worst? |
|
|
| Edouard arbitre un concours de cuisine. Tammy, Bette et Fiona présentent des tartes. |
|
Edouard is judging a cooking contest. Tammy, Bette, and Fiona are presenting their tarts. |
| Edouard goûte d'abord la tarte de Tammy. |
|
First, Edouard tastes Tammy's tart. |
| Edouard: Une tarte aux pommes ... C'est très sucré, mais délicieux. Tammy est bonne cuisinière. Oui, oui, elle cuisine bien. |
|
Edouard: An apple tart ... It's very sweet, but delicious. Tammy is a good cook. Yes, yes, she cooks well. |
| Edouard goûte ensuite la tarte de Fiona. |
|
Next, Edouard tastes Fiona's tart. |
| Edouard: Une tarte aux piments ... C'est épicé mais certainement original. Est-ce que cette tarte est meilleure que celle de Tammy? Non, à mon avis, Fiona cuisine aussi bien que Tammy. |
|
Edouard: A pepper tart ... It's spicy, but certainly original. Is this tart better than Tammy's? No, in my opionion, Fiona cooks as well as Tammy. |
| Enfin, Edouard goûte la tarte de Bette. |
|
Finally, Edouard tastes Bette's tart. |
| Edouard: Une tarte aux fruits exotiques. Hmm ... c'est magnifique. Cette tarte me séduit terriblement. Aucun doute! C'est Bette qui va recevoir le prix. C'est elle qui cuisine le mieux. C'est, comme c'est délicieux! Dites-moi, Bette, il y a un je ne sais quoi dans cette tarte. Quel est votre secret? |
|
Edouard: An exotic fruit tart. Hmm ... it's magnificent. This tart really seduces me. No question about it! Bette's going to receive the prize. She's the one who cooks the best. How delicious it is! Tell me, Bette, there's an I don't know what in this tart. What is your secret? |
| Bette: Mais, c'est tout simple, Edouard. Quand je cuisine, j'ajoute toujours une pincée de Viagra! |
|
Bette: But it's very simple, Edouard. When I cook, I always add a pinch of Viagra! |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
