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Lesson 97 of 240

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Best and even better in French

Sam is at Karim's Saturday stall. Karim swears these peaches are the best on the boulevard.

Odile is not so sure. Last week's crate, she says, was even better.

Gaspard has his own ranking, and it is not fruit.

By the end, you'll call something the best, the closest, even better, even cheaper, and your favourite, and ask which one is closest.

By the end of this lesson

Talk about the best one and something even better.

  • C'est le meilleur.It's the best.
  • C'est le plus proche.It's the closest.
  • C'est encore mieux.That's even better.
  • C'est encore moins cher.It's even cheaper.
  • C'est mon préféré.That's my favourite.
  • Lequel est le plus proche ?Which one is closest?

Scene — the peach crate

Saturday on the boulevard. Karim's fruit stall is out, crates on the pavement, his cargo bike parked beside it.

Odile has a canvas bag and is already picking through the peaches. Gaspard stands behind Sam with his tote, a baguette sticking out.

The café is a short walk away. Nobody mentions the postcard.

A wide Saturday-morning boulevard view of Karim's fruit stall with crates and a cargo bike, Odile picking peaches, and Sam standing at the stall.

Learn — the best and even better

Six lines cover the best, the closest, even better, even cheaper, and a favourite.

You'll also ask which one is closest.

  1. A close-up of Odile's hands lifting a peach from a crate to inspect it.

    C'est le meilleur.

    It's the best.

    When to use it: Use this when one option beats all the others.

    Use le meilleur for a masculine thing, la meilleure for a feminine one.

  2. Karim stands beside his cargo bike with one hand on a crate and the other pointing at his own stall while Sam looks on.

    C'est le plus proche.

    It's the closest.

    When to use it: Use this when one place is nearer than the rest.

    Le plus before an adjective names the most, like closest.

    Say it: The s in plus is silent before proche.

  3. Over Odile's shoulder, Odile turns from the peaches toward an empty crate with an open-handed gesture while Karim waits at the stall.

    C'est encore mieux.

    That's even better.

    When to use it: Use this when something beats what you just named.

    Encore mieux is a step up from the last thing, not a plus que line.

    Say it: The x in mieux is silent.

  4. From a low angle, Karim leans over a crate and holds out a piece of fruit in a generous vendor gesture.

    C'est encore moins cher.

    It's even cheaper.

    When to use it: Use this when a price is lower than the last one.

    Moins marks a lower price; trop cher means too expensive.

    Say it: The oin in moins is a nasal sound.

  5. In profile, Gaspard sits on two chairs at the stall and reaches toward a croissant in a tote, a baguette sticking out beside it.

    C'est mon préféré.

    That's my favourite.

    When to use it: Use this for the one you like most.

    With a feminine noun, say ma préférée instead of mon préféré.

  6. From high above, Sam stands in the boulevard turned between Karim's stall and the next stall, one hand hovering as if choosing which is nearer.

    Lequel est le plus proche ?

    Which one is closest?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the nearest of several options.

    Lequel is the masculine which-one; it agrees with the thing you mean.

Story — last week's peaches

Watch Karim sell his peaches, and Odile push back. Gaspard has a different favourite.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Karim grins from behind a crate of peaches.
  2. KarimSalut.Hi.
  3. SamSalut.Hi.
  4. He holds a fruit over the crate.
  5. KarimCe fruit, c'est le meilleur.This fruit is the best.
  6. Odile looks at the empty crate from last Saturday.
  7. OdileL'autre caisse, c'est encore mieux.The other crate is even better.
  8. Karim names last week's price.
  9. KarimLa semaine dernière, trois euros le kilo.Last week, three euros a kilo.
  10. SamC'est trop cher.That's too expensive.
  11. KarimAujourd'hui, deux euros. C'est encore moins cher.Today, two euros. It's even cheaper.
  12. Gaspard nods at the croissant in his tote.
  13. GaspardLe croissant, c'est mon préféré.The croissant is my favourite.
  14. Sam looks at this stall and the next one.
  15. SamLequel est le plus proche ?Which one is closest?
  16. KarimC'est le plus proche.It's the closest.
  17. SamJe prends ça.I'll take this one.

Practice — best, closest, cheaper

Eleven short exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est le meilleur.Drop the English here
    C'est le plus proche.Drop the English here
    C'est encore mieux.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Odile says last week's crate was even better overall.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's the closest.

    C'est le plus ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    C'est encore moins cher.

  6. Swap the word

    Karim says this week's peaches cost less than last week.

    C'est encore ____ cher.

  7. Build the line

    That's my favourite.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Pick the reply

    Karim says:

    Il y a un étal ici et un étal là-bas.

    There's a stall here and a stall over there.

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    Karim says bonjour as you arrive. Greet your friend.

  10. True or false?

    This line means the stall is the closest one.

  11. What do you say?

    Tell Karim you are taking this bag.

Say it — at the stall

Now you're Sam at the stall. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. KarimSalut.Hi.
  2. Sam (you)He holds up a fruit. Call it the best.

    C'est le meilleur.

    It's the best.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est le meilleur.It's the best.
C'est le plus proche.It's the closest.
C'est encore mieux.That's even better.
C'est encore moins cher.It's even cheaper.
C'est mon préféré.That's my favourite.
Lequel est le plus proche ?Which one is closest?
Next: lesson 98Taking the bus

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A short round with the Yak Cards keeps best, closest, and even better ready for the market.

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