beaucoup
/bo.ku/
beaucoup is the French phrase for "a lot" or "many".
The word beaucoup translates to "a lot" or "many" in English.
Which one should you use?
While beaucoup means "a lot", the word trop means "too much", which implies an amount that is excessive or negative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal settings, you may use Énormément to signify a significant amount or a great deal of something. Conversely, the term plein is used informally to mean "a lot" or "loads".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bo.ku/ and consists of two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When expressing quantity, English speakers often mistakenly say beaucoup des or beaucoup le. Instead, you should use beaucoup de.
Did you know?
- The word beaucoup literally translates to a 'beautiful hit' or 'nice strike' from its Old French roots.
- The word beaucoup is an adverb of quantity that never changes its spelling or form, regardless of whether it describes masculine or feminine nouns.
Examples in context
- J'ai énormément de travail à faire cette semaine.I have a lot of work to do this week.
- J'ai beaucoup de respect pour lui.I have a lot of respect for him.
- J'ai un tas d'amis qui veulent venir à la fête.I have a lot of friends who want to come to the party.
- J'aime beaucoup ce film.I really like this movie.
- La ville offre beaucoup de possibilités créatives.The city offers many creative opportunities.
- Il y a beaucoup de monde ici.There are a lot of people here.
- J'ai beaucoup de travail ce soir.I have a lot of work tonight.
- Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.Thank you very much for your help.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their weekend plans.
- GabrielTu as beaucoup de travail ce week-end ?Do you have a lot of work this weekend?
- ChloéOui, j'ai énormément de dossiers à finir.Yes, I have a huge number of files to finish.
- GabrielC'est dommage, on voulait aller au cinéma.That's a shame, we wanted to go to the cinema.
- ChloéJe suis désolée, je vais beaucoup travailler.I am sorry, I am going to work a lot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry beaucoup, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beaucoup, CC BY-SA 4.0.
