How to say it · How you feel

Saying something was just OK

The film, the meal, the party: not great, not terrible. "Good" says too much and "normal" means something else, so you need words for the middle.

6 ways to say it

Outside a cinema at night, Jo tilts a flat hand side to side under a half-circle meter with its needle in the middle.

How positiveLukewarmPositive

It was all rightbest default Nothing specialflat It had its momentsmixed It wasn't badquietly OK It was decentsolid It was pretty goodfairly positive

Way 1 · best default

It was all right

OK, nothing more. Your tone shows if you mean "fine" or "a bit boring".

How positiveLukewarm

ToneNeutral

Use itAnywhere

Examples

It was all right, but a bit expensive for what you get.

"How was the concert?" "It was all right. The support band was better."

In a conversation

A: Did you like the new café?
B: It was all right. The coffee's better at the old place.

Common mistake

Not: The film was ~~normal.~~

Say: The film was all right.

In English, "normal" means usual or expected, not average quality. Vietnamese speakers often carry this over.

Practice saying this

Next: Nothing special

Way 2 · flat

Nothing special

Plain and forgettable. You wouldn't go back or tell anyone about it.

How positiveVery lukewarm

ToneCasual

Use itAnywhere

Examples

The hotel was nothing special, but it was clean.

Honestly, the burger was nothing special.

Practice saying this

Next: It had its moments

Way 3 · mixed

It had its moments

Mostly average, with a few good bits. Often used for films, books and long events.

How positiveLukewarm

ToneNeutral

Use itAnywhere

Examples

It had its moments, but it was far too long.

"How was the conference?" "It had its moments. The last talk was great."

In a conversation

A: So, was the wedding fun?
B: It had its moments. The speeches were amazing.

Practice saying this

Next: It wasn't bad

Way 4 · quietly OK

It wasn't bad

Better than you expected, but you're not excited. Very common in everyday chat.

How positiveMiddle

ToneCasual

Use itWith friends

Examples

It wasn't bad, actually. Better than the reviews said.

The pizza? It wasn't bad for a free event.

Practice saying this

Next: It was decent

Way 5 · solid

It was decent

Good enough, no complaints. You'd probably go again.

How positivePositive

ToneNeutral

Use itAnywhere

Examples

Honestly, it was decent for the price.

The hotel? It was decent. Clean, quiet, good breakfast.

In a conversation

A: How's the new gym?
B: It's decent. A bit crowded after six.

Practice saying this

Next: It was pretty good

Way 6 · fairly positive

It was pretty good

Good, but not amazing. "Pretty" here means "fairly", not "beautiful".

How positiveVery positive

ToneNeutral

Use itAnywhere

Examples

It was pretty good. You should go and see it.

It was pretty good, but I preferred the first book.

Practice saying this

Test yourself: which would you say?

Pick the right one

Which would you say?

Read the moment, then choose the way that fits it best.

Now say it out loud

Pick one and practise it in a real conversation. Save the ones you want to remember.

It was all right Nothing special It had its moments It wasn't bad

Which would you say?

Now say it out loud

More moments like this