French Expression of the Day: Pas terrible
This is a very common French expression, but its meaning can be confusing for English speakers.
"Pas terrible" is a frequently used French expression that can be confusing for English speakers. Literally translating to "it's not terrible," the word "terrible" in French can also mean "great" or "terrific." So, when someone says "ce n'est pas terrible," it means "not great" rather than "not terrible," as one might initially assume.
This phrase is often used when someone feels lukewarm about something – it's not awful, but it's not impressive either. For example, if someone says "Julien adore ce resto, mais à mon avis, ce n'est pas terrible," they mean that they love the restaurant, but they don't think it's that great. Similarly, if someone says "Ce film est pas terrible alors je serais toi, je n'irais pas le voir," they are indicating that the film is average and they wouldn't recommend watching it.
Written by urgent.news from The Local France's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
