Are people and food described with bon..meilleur (adjectives); other nouns take bien...mieux?
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Leah V.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Are people and food described with bon..meilleur (adjectives); other nouns take bien...mieux?
Am so confused. Can anyone help?
Cette maison est bien? Une bonne maison? Ma meilleure amie....
This question relates to:French lesson "Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)"
Asked 7 years ago
Ron T. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonsoir Leah,
Assuming that your langue maternal is English, the same rules for the use of adjective and adverb apply in French, i.e. adjective modifies a noun or pronoun while an adverb modifies a verb, adjective or other adverb. So, keeping this in mind let's look at a couple of lessons points:
When to use bon/bonne (ADJECTIVE) and therefore meilleur
In French, you'll use the adjective bon and its comparative meilleur when:
1) - qualifying something as good/better/the best for a usage, or good/better/the best in taste (food)
2) - qualifying someone as a good/better/the best person or good/better/the best at something
When to use bien (ADVERB) and therefore mieux
In French, you'll use the adverb bien and its comparative mieux when:
1) - making a general statement with être about something or someone being fine/OK/better/the best:
2) - talking about an action (verb) being done well/better/the best
There are other grammar rules that cover this, but these are the primary ones.
J'espère que ma réponse vous aiderait.
Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisée par le monde français depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet
Ron (un locuteur non natif )
Leah V.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Bonjour Ron,
Merci pour votre reponse. Your answer makes complete sense to me as I have a good understanding of adjectives/adverbs in english. However, in english "good" (adj) would be used to describe a house, but in french, "C'est maison est bien" is correct. Bien is an adverb. I was taught that "is" is a linking verb and therefore always requires an adjective.
And, with in french, food is described with "bon" and not "bien." Why the difference between the two different nouns.
Leah
Ron T. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I think the nuanced difference has to do with the first rule under adverb about general statements with être where bien is the correct response.
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