Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
Level A2-A2 (Beginner)
The French Word of the Day is très bien, a commonly used adverb meaning “very well.” While it may seem simple, this word has some tricky placement rules. For example, Je parle très bien français (I speak French very well). There is also a common pronunciation mistake many students make. With clear explanations, examples, and Marie’s native audio clips, it will all click.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
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📘 Très bien meaning in French
Très bien is a French adverb meaning “very well”, “great”, or “very good”, depending on context. It is used to describe how an action is done (Je parle très bien français — I speak French very well), to answer questions about how someone is doing (Ça va ? — Très bien ! — How’s it going? Very well!), or to show approval or agreement (Très bien, on commence — All right, let’s start).
🎧 Très bien pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of très bien is /tʁɛ bjɛ̃/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “treh byeh̃.” The most important thing to remember is not to pronounce the final n. The ending -ien is a nasal sound /ɛ̃/, not a separate n sound. This is a very common mistake among beginners.
📝 Très bien examples & usage
Très bien in greetings and how to reply
Très bien is often used during greetings and means “very well”. Depending on context, it can also translate as great, good, or very good. After questions like Comment allez-vous ?, Comment vas-tu ?, Ça va ?, or Comment ça va ? (all of which mean “How are you?”), you can simply reply “Très bien !” You can also say “Je vais très bien, merci” (I am doing very well, thank you).
Je vais très bien, merci.
I am doing very well, thank you.
Equally, you can respond, “Ça va très bien, merci”, which means “I am very well, thank you”.
Ça va très bien, merci.
I am very well, thank you.
See more:
👉 30 French greetings (with audio) »
👉 Ça va — the must-know French greeting expression »
Using très bien as an adverb
Present tense sentences
There are many ways to use très bien when building sentences. One of the most basic uses is to modify a verb. For example, Je chante très bien (I sing very well) or Vous cuisinez très bien (You cook very well).
Je chante très bien.
I sing very well.
When a sentence includes a direct object, très bien is placed between the verb and the direct object. For example, Je chante très bien la chanson (I sing the song very well) or Vous cuisinez très bien les pâtes (You cook pasta very well).
Je chante très bien la chanson.
I sing the song very well.
Passé composé sentences
In the passé composé (a French past tense), très bien is placed between the auxiliary (helping) verb and the past participle. For example, J’ai très bien chanté (I sang very well). Placing très bien at the end of the sentence would be incorrect, so you cannot say J’ai chanté très bien.
J’ai très bien chanté.
I sang very well.
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- bien — well
- très bon / très bonne — very good (for nouns, not verbs)
- super — great
- parfait — perfect
- excellent — excellent
- nickel — spot on, perfect (informal)
- formidable — terrific
- pas mal — not bad
- ça va très bien — I’m doing very well
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 ça va — how to ask and answer how you’re doing »
👉 passé composé guide »
👉 French adverbs »
🚀 Continue learning French online on FrenchLearner!
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French Vocabulary lists »
👉 French for beginners guide »
👉 French song lyrics hub »
❓ Très bien — Common Questions
What is the meaning of très bien?
Très bien means “very well”, “very good”, or “great”, depending on context. Ça va ? — Très bien ! — How’s it going? Very well!
When do you say très bien?
You say très bien to say you’re doing well, to describe how something is done, or to show approval. Je parle très bien français (I speak French very well).
How do you reply with très bien?
You can reply “Très bien !” or “Je vais très bien, merci” when asked how you’re doing (I’m doing fine or I’m doing very well).
