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Familiar French Expression
| Meaning | it’s great, terrific | |
| Literally | it’s the foot | |
| Register | familiar | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[say leu pyay] |
| IPA | [se lə pjɛ] | |
Usage notes: In old French slang, le pied referred to one’s share or due. It’s this meaning of pied, rather than "foot," that the familiar French idiom c’est le pied references.
Par exemple…
| J’adore cette photo, c’est le pied ! | I love this picture, it’s great! | |
| Ce serait le pied si je réussissais cet examen. | It would be terrific if I passed this test. |
Synonyms
- quel pied ! (However, this can also mean "what an idiot!" Context is everything.)
- Other ways to say "great"
Related expression: prendre son pied – to get one’s kicks, enjoy doing (particularly in reference to sex)
In the negative, ce n’est pas le pied* means "it’s not much fun, it’s no picnic, not that great."
Par exemple…
| Cette classe, ce n’est pas le pied. | This class isn’t much fun. | |
| Se divorcer, ce n’est pas le pied. | Getting divorced is no picnic. |
Synonym: ce n’est pas terrible
Related expression: casser les pieds
* Even more familiarly, ne is droppped: c’est pas le pied – learn more.
Related lessons
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