Published January 26, 2022 · Updated May 1, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson. Pronunciation audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker. Lyrics provided for educational purposes to support French language learning. All rights belong to the original copyright holders.
“C’est si bon” is a classic French chanson written in 1947 by Henri Betti, with lyrics by André Hornez, and popularized by Yves Montand. The title means “it’s so good” and reflects the song’s light, joyful mood. The lyrics celebrate simple pleasures like walking arm in arm, sharing sweet words, and enjoying everyday moments. Its charm and universal theme helped it become an international hit, later recorded in English by artists like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby.
In this lesson, you’ll explore the lyrics line by line with clear explanations and native pronunciation audio to help you understand and practice real French.
🎙️ Listen to the song
📘 Meaning in French
🎧 Pronunciation guide
🔊 Practice with audio
🎵 Lyrics with English
✏️ Grammar notes
🎙️ Listen to “C’est si bon” by Yves Montand
Listen to the song — how many words can you catch before checking the translation?
📘 C’est si bon meaning
“C’est si bon” literally means “it’s so good” or “that’s so nice” in French. The song celebrates simple pleasures like being together, sharing sweet moments, and enjoying life. It expresses a carefree, romantic feeling through everyday experiences. The lyrics highlight how small things can bring deep happiness.
🎧 C’est si bon pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of C’est si bon is /sɛ si bɔ̃/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “seh see bohn”.
🔊 Practice pronunciation from the song
The recordings below feature key lines from the song recorded by a native French speaker for clear, natural pronunciation. Listen and repeat each line to improve your accent and rhythm.
C’est si bon, de partir n’importe où, en chantant des chansons
It’s so good, to go anywhere, singing songs
C’est si bon, C’est tellement, tellement bon, voilà, c’est bon
It’s so good, it’s so good, there, it’s good
Ah, c’est bon, vous savez bien que j’attendrai quelqu’un, c’est si bon
Ah, it’s good, You know that I’ll wait for somebody, it’s so good
You’ll also love these Yves Montand songs!
👉 Les Feuilles mortes (Yves Montand) — a timeless French classic filled with poetic lyrics and nostalgic autumn imagery.
👉 La bicyclette (Yves Montand) — a warm and nostalgic song celebrating youth, summer, and carefree moments on a bicycle.
🎵 C’est si bon – Lyrics with English Translation
C’est si bon
De partir n’importe où
Bras dessus bras dessous
En chantant des chansons
C’est si bon
De se dire des mots doux
Des petits riens du tout
Mais qui en disent long
En voyant notre mine ravie
Les passants dans la rue nous envient
It’s so good
To go anywhere
Arm in arm
Singing songs
It’s so good
To tell each other soft words
Little nothing-at-alls
But that say so much
Seeing our happy faces
People in the streets envy us
C’est si bon
De guetter dans ses yeux
Un espoir merveilleux
Qui donne un frisson
C’est si bon
Ces petites sensations
Ça vaut mieux qu’un million
C’est tellement, tellement bon (si bon, si bon)
C’est bon (si bon, si bon)
Voilà, c’est bon (si bon, si bon)
It’s so good
To look into our eyes
A marvelous hope
That gives a chill
It’s so good
These little feelings
That are worth a million
It’s so, so good (so good, so good)
It’s good (so good, so good)
There, it’s so good (so good, so good)
Les passants dans la rue (si bon, si bon)
Bras dessus bras dessous (si bon, si bon)
En chantant des chansons (si bon, si bon)
Quel espoir merveilleux (si bon, si bon)
C’est bon (si bon, si bon)
Je cherche un millionaire (si bon, si bon)
Avec des (si bon, si bon)
Grandes Cadillac car (si bon, si bon)
Mink coats (si bon, si bon)
Des bijoux
Jusqu’au cou, tu sais? (si bon, si bon)
C’est bon (si bon, si bon)
Ces petites sensations (si bon, si bon)
Peut être quelqu’un (si bon, si bon)
Avec un petit yacht, non? (si bon, si bon)
People in the streets (so good, so good)
Arm in arm (so good, so good)
Singing songs (so good, so good)
What a marvelous hope (so good, so good)
It’s so good (so good, so good)
I’m looking for a millionaire (so good, so good)
With (so good, so good)
Big Cadillac cars (so good, so good)
Mink coats (so good, so good)
Jewels
All the way up to your neck, you know? (so good, so good)
It’s good (so good, so good)
These little feelings (so good, so good)
Maybe somebody (so good, so good)
With a little yacht, right? (so good, so good)
Ah, c’est bon (si bon, si bon)
C’est bon, si bon (si bon, si bon)
Vous savez bien que j’attendrai quelqu’un
Qui pourrait m’apporter beaucoup de loot
Ce soir (si bon, si bon)
Demain (si bon, si bon)
La semaine prochaine (si bon, si bon)
N’importe quand (si bon, si bon)
C’est bon (si bon, si bon)
Si bon
Il sera très (si bon, si bon)
Crazy, non? (si bon, si bon)
Voilà, c’est tellement bon
Ah, it’s good (so good, so good)
It’s good, yes it’s good (so good, so good)
You know that I’ll wait for somebody
Who could bring me lots of loot
Tonight (so good, so good)
Tomorrow (so good, so good)
Next week (so good, so good)
Whenever (so good, so good)
It’s good (so good, so good)
So good
It will be (so good, so good)
Crazy, right? (so good, so good)
There, it’s so good
✏️ Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
The following section highlights selected lyrics from C’est si bon, with clear explanations of useful French vocabulary, expressions, and grammar structures to help you understand how they’re used.
🎵 Song Title
- c’est si bon → literal translation: it’s so good
- c’est = “it is” (from ce + est)
- si bon = “so good” (intensifier si + adjective bon)
🧩 Sentence Structures & Grammar
C’est si bon
👉 “It’s so good”
- Uses c’est + adjective for general statements
De partir n’importe où
👉 “To go anywhere”
- de + infinitive expresses a general action
- partir means to leave
- n’importe où = anywhere; See: N’importe expressions
Bras dessus bras dessous
👉 “Arm in arm”
- Fixed expression describing how people walk together
En chantant des chansons
👉 “Singing songs”
- en + present participle = Gerund: while doing something
De se dire des mots doux
👉 “To tell each other soft words”
Des petits riens du tout
👉 “Little nothing-at-alls”
- riens used poetically as a noun
Mais qui en disent long
👉 “But that say so much”
- en dire long = to reveal a lot
En voyant notre mine ravie
👉 “Seeing our happy faces”
- Mine ravie = delighted expression
les passants dans la rue nous envient
👉 “People in the streets envy us”
- envient = present tense of envier
De guetter dans ses yeux
👉 “To look into our eyes”
- guetter = to watch/look for
Un espoir merveilleux
👉 “A marvelous hope”
Qui donne un frisson
👉 “That gives a chill”
- donner un frisson = to give a thrill
- donner = to give
Ces petites sensations
👉 “These little feelings”
Ça vaut mieux qu’un million
👉 “That are worth a million”
- valoir mieux que = to be worth more than
c’est tellement, tellement bon
👉 “It’s so, so good”
- tellement intensifies emotion
Je cherche un millionaire
👉 “I’m looking for a millionaire”
- chercher = to look for
Avec des grandes Cadillac car, mink coats, des bijoux
👉 “With big Cadillac cars, mink coats, jewels”
- des = indefinite articile
Jusqu’au cou, tu sais
👉 “All the way up to your neck, you know?”
- jusqu’au cou = up to one’s neck
Peut-être quelqu’un
👉 “Maybe somebody”
Avec un petit yacht, non
👉 “With a little yacht, right?”
- non ? used like “right?”
- avec = with
Vous savez bien que j’attendrai quelqu’un
👉 “You know that I’ll wait for somebody”
- attendrai = future tense of attendre
Qui pourrait m’apporter beaucoup de loot
👉 “Who could bring me lots of loot”
- pourrait = conditional of pouvoir
Ce soir / demain / la semaine prochaine / n’importe quand
👉 “Tonight / tomorrow / next week / whenever”
- demain = tomorrow
Il sera très
👉 “It will be”
- sera = future of être
Crazy, non
👉 “Crazy, right?”
Voilà, c’est tellement bon
👉 “There, it’s so good”
- Voilà ! = there !
🔤 Verb Forms & Tenses
- Present tense: c’est, envient, donne, vaut, cherche
- Infinitives: partir, se dire, guetter
- Future tense: attendrai, sera
- Conditional: pourrait
💬 Idioms & Natural Expressions
- c’est si bon → it’s so good
- bras dessus bras dessous → arm in arm
- dire des mots doux → to say sweet things
- en dire long → to say a lot
- jusqu’au cou → up to one’s neck
- n’importe où / n’importe quand → anywhere / anytime
📘 Vocabulary
- un espoir — hope
- un frisson — a shiver
- une sensation — feeling
- un passant — passerby
- la rue — street
- un bijou — jewel
- quelqu’un — someone
- un yacht — yacht
🎶 Take your learning to the next level!
FrenchLearner offers one of the largest collections of French song lessons online. Visit the French song lyrics hub to explore classics from the 1950s to the 2000s.
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