bons

Bons is the plural form of the French adjective bon, used to mean “good” in masculine plural contexts, and it also appears in several noun uses. The feminine plural is bonnes.

Etymology and form: Bon derives from Latin bonus via Old French. The adjective inflects for gender and number, giving bon (masculine singular), bonne (feminine singular), bons (masculine plural), and bonnes (feminine plural). In many fixed phrases, bon appears in a set form such as bon voyage or bon appétit.

Usage as an adjective: When describing nouns, bons agrees with the gender and number of the noun. Examples include des bons livres (good books) and un bon repas (a good meal). Predicative use also follows agreement: Ces plats sont bons (These dishes are good). Some common phrases preserve fixed forms, with bon used in phrases like bon marché, bon voyage, and bon appétit, where the phrase conveys a broader sense of value or well-wishing rather than purely grammatical agreement.

Usage as a noun: Un bon can mean a voucher, coupon, or certificate that provides goods, services, or discounts. Plural des bons refers to multiple vouchers. Common compounds include un bon d’achat (gift card) and un bon de réduction (discount voucher). In financial language, the plural bons appears in references to government securities such as bons du Trésor, historically used to denote short-term government notes; the exact instrument varies by country and era, with modern terminology often differentiating between short-term notes and longer-term obligations.

See also: French grammar on adjectives of quantity and agreement; French terms for consumer vouchers; historical financial instruments in France.