Short answer
“delicious” in French is délicieux
How to say delicious in French?
The standard way to say delicious in French is délicieux (roughly day-lee-syuh). Use délicieuse for feminine nouns, bon/bonne for everyday "good" or "tasty", and exquis/exquise for a refined, literary "exquisite". Choose délicieux when you want a direct, enthusiastic translation of delicious, as in "Ce gâteau est délicieux!"
Common pairings
un repas délicieuxune odeur délicieuseC'est délicieux !un dessert délicieux
How to use it
- Use délicieux/délicieuse for anything that tastes or smells wonderful; it is the closest one-word equivalent to delicious.
- In everyday conversation, bon/bonne is more common: "C'est bon" simply means "It tastes good". Reserve délicieux for emphasis and exquis for a very refined or literary register.
- Remember the agreement: délicieux becomes délicieuse with feminine nouns, and délicieux/délicieuses in the plural.
Examples
Ce gâteau est délicieux !
This cake is delicious!
délicieux is used because gâteau is masculine.
La tarte est délicieuse.
The pie is delicious.
délicieuse is the feminine form, agreeing with tarte.
Ce plat est très bon.
This dish is really good.
bon/bonne is the everyday way to say something tastes good; très bon is very natural.
Quel repas exquis !
What an exquisite meal!
exquis is more literary and intense than délicieux.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| La soupe est |
La soupe est délicieuse. | délicieux is the masculine form; it must agree with the feminine noun soupe. |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cette pizza est |
Cette pizza est bonne. | bien means well or okay, not tasty. For food, use bon/bonne. |
FAQ
- How to say delicious in French?The most common translation is délicieux, and délicieuse for feminine nouns. For example: Ce gâteau est délicieux (This cake is delicious) and La tarte est délicieuse (The pie is delicious).
- What is the difference between bon and délicieux?bon/bonne is the everyday word for good-tasting, while délicieux is a stronger, more enthusiastic way to say delicious. You can say C'est bon for a normal tasty meal, but C'est délicieux when you really love it.
- Can délicieux be used for people?Yes, but in a different sense. Un homme délicieux means a delightful or charming man, not a tasty one. For food, keep délicieux with what you eat or smell.