Skip to content
adjective

excellent

/ɛksɛlˈɑ̃/

Extremely good; of the highest quality.

Definitions

  1. 1

    Outstanding or exceptionally good in quality or performance.

    “Le professeur a donné un cours excellent sur la révolution française.”

    The teacher gave an excellent lesson on the French Revolution.

  2. 2

    Used as an exclamation to express strong approval or enthusiasm.

    “Tu as réussi ton examen ? Excellent, je suis très fier de toi !”

    You passed your exam? Excellent, I am very proud of you!

  3. 3

    Of food or drink: exceptionally delicious or well-made.

    “Ce restaurant prépare une soupe excellente avec des légumes frais.”

    This restaurant makes an excellent soup with fresh vegetables.

Word forms

Plural
excellents (m.), excellentes (f.)
Usage
Precedes or follows the noun; most commonly placed after the noun in French, though it can precede for emphasis.

Looks and sounds almost identical to English "excellent," making it an easy cognate to remember. Pronounced roughly "ek-say-LAHN" — the final -t is silent and the -ent ending is nasalized.