Mieux vs Meilleur

Question

C'était encore mieux que dans ses rêvesWhy is there Mieux not Meilleur ?I know one is adverb and other is abjective but I think adjective should work here too

Accepted Answer

Hi Shashank,
Just to add to what Christian has said, to talk about an experience like a trip to Paris you might say -
C'était (vachement) bien ! = I was great!
so you would use 'mieux' and NEVER 'meilleur'.
You might say about a feeling about meeting someone again -
C'était bon de se revoir = It felt good to see each other again
But it is tricky and I hope this helps.

Answer

This is a bit confusing (at least it was for me). Bien/mieux can function also as an adjective in certain expressions with être.

So you can say both "C'est bien" or "C'est bon" to express that something is good.

Summing up Grammaire Progressive du Français Intermédiaire chapter 8:

You use "C'est bon" to express a good taste or physical sensation:

"C'est bon, le chocolat. C'est bon, le soleil."

For everything else you use "C'est bien" (respectively "'C'est mieux" for the comparative).

Furthermore, "C'est bon" can also mean:

- That's ok: "Shall we meet at nine?" "Oui, c'est bon."

- That's enough: "Some more cake?" "C'est bon."

"C'est bien" can also be used to confirm something:

"ça fait bien 55 euros?" "Qui, c'est bien ça."

For more discussions on bon vs bien and also mauvais vs mal:

Meilleur, mieux, pire / plus mauvais, plus mal = better, best, worse and worst in French (irregular comparatives and superlatives)