French Phrase
C'est frais ?
Meaning
Literally, “Is it fresh?” It can refer to the freshness of food, the coolness of a drink, or the temperature of the weather. In informal slang, it also means “Is it cool?” as in “Is that thing cool/awesome?”.
When to use
Use it when you want to check the quality of produce at a market, ask a waiter if a dish is freshly prepared, comment on the temperature of a room or beverage, or casually ask if something is trendy or impressive.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estfrais?
C' + est
C' is the contraction of the demonstrative pronoun 'ce' before the verb 'être' (to be). It is used to point to something previously mentioned or visible.
Frais (adjective)
Frais means 'fresh' (for food) or 'cool/chilly' (for temperature). It agrees in gender and number: frais (masc. sing.), fraîche (fem. sing.), frais (masc. pl.), fraîches (fem. pl.).
Question intonation
When spoken as a question, the pitch rises at the end of the phrase. No extra words are needed; the intonation alone signals a yes‑no question.
🗨In Conversation
C'est frais ?
Is it fresh?
Oui, il vient d'être cueilli ce matin.
Yes, it was just picked this morning.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est fraîche ?
The neutral construction "c'est" is usually followed by the masculine form "frais" even when referring to a feminine noun; using "fraîche" sounds overly formal or incorrect in everyday speech.
Est frais ?
The verb "être" must be conjugated with the subject pronoun; the correct inversion is "Est‑ce frais ?" or the informal "C'est frais ?".
C'est frais, tu penses ?
Adding "tu penses" after a yes‑no question is redundant; simply use rising intonation or "non ?" for confirmation.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce frais ?
Is it fresh?
Il est frais, non ?
It's fresh, right?
C'est frais, hein ?
It's fresh, huh?
Cultural Tip
In French cuisine, freshness is a point of pride, so asking "C'est frais ?" shows you care about quality. Remember that "frais" must match the gender of the noun it describes; for a feminine item you would say "C'est fraîche ?" (rare in spoken French, most speakers keep the neutral "c'est frais"). As slang, younger speakers use "c'est frais" to mean "that's cool" – but avoid it in formal settings.