Trey bien

Très bien means very well in French and can also function as very good in an approving response. Trey bien is a phonetic approximation, not the standard French spelling. Write très with its grave accent when using standard French.

Meaning and context

The meaning depends on what the expression modifies. In a statement about how someone performs an action, very well may be natural. As a brief acknowledgment or praise, very good, fine, or all right may better capture the conversational purpose.

Examples and usage

Il chante très bien means he sings very well. A teacher saying Très bien after an answer may be expressing approval. These uses show why translating every occurrence as very good can produce an awkward English sentence.

What to check

Keep bien distinct from bon and bonne, which have different grammatical uses. For a learner, identifying whether the phrase describes an action or responds to a statement is more helpful than memorizing one rigid English equivalent.

Explore more: Word meanings and writing guides