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Tricky French Expression
| Meaning | it’s not that great | |
| Literally | it’s not terrible, it’s not terrific | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  | [seu nay pah tay reebl] |
| IPA | [sə nɛ pa te ʀiblə] | |
Usage notes: Even after speaking French for a long time, the word terrible can be confusing, because it’s a contronym: a word that is its own antonym. It can mean "terrible," as in English, but it can also mean "terrific," making it perhaps the trickiest faux ami there is.
| C’est terrible ! | It’s awful! | |
| C’est terrible ! | It’s great! |
But when it’s used in the negative, terrible is generally positive (ha ha), meaning "terrific" or "great."
Par exemple…
| J’ai vu la voiture, ce n’est pas terrible. | I saw the car, it’s not that great. | |
| (en sirotant) Pas terrible. | (while sipping) Not that great. | |
| – Tu as essayé ce resto ? – Oui, c’est pas terrible. (informal) | – You tried this restaurant? – Yes, it’s not that great. |
Informally, the ne is dropped and this expression is pronounced c’est pas terrible – learn more.
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