beau
/bo/masculine
The English word beautiful is translated into French as beau.
The adjective is used to describe something as attractive. For a more intense sense of beauty, such as meaning sublime or magnificent, you might use Sublime. In informal contexts, the term Canon can be used to mean hot or stunning.
Meaning: attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use beau for masculine nouns and belle for feminine nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the noun it describes. The masculine singular is beau, while the feminine singular is belle. For masculine plural nouns, use beaux and for feminine plural nouns, use belles. There is a special case for the masculine singular: the form changes to bel when placed before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or a silent h.
How do you pronounce it?
/bo/
Did you know?
- The word belle is used in the phrase belle-mère, which actually means 'mother-in-law' rather than 'beautiful mother'.
- In French, the phrase beau monde refers to the 'high society' or the fashionable elite, rather than just a large group of attractive people.
- The word beau is part of the idiom beau malheur, which is used ironically to describe a 'fine mess' or a disaster.
Examples in context
- C'est si beau !It's so beautiful.This sentence shows how to use beau to describe a state of being.Tatoeba #1895030 by sacredceltic, translation #1894562 by CK
- Quel beau bébé !What a beautiful baby!This sentence uses beau to describe a baby.Tatoeba #5647293 by Aiji, translation #2045743 by CK
- Le son est beau.That sounds beautiful.This sentence uses beau to describe a sound.Tatoeba #7482745 by Micsmithel, translation #2045757 by CK
- Tu as une belle robeYou have a beautiful dress
- C'est un beau paysageIt is a beautiful landscape
- La ville est jolieThe city is beautiful
- Elle est très jolieShe is very beautiful
- Cette œuvre d'art est sublimeThis artwork is sublime
- La vue depuis cette colline est sublimeThe view from this hill is sublime
- Tu es vraiment un beau gosseYou are really attractive
- La soirée était magnifiqueThe evening was magnificent
- Tu es magnifiqueYou look gorgeous
- Cette actrice est vraiment canonThat actress is really hot
- Regarde cette tenue, c'est canonLook at that outfit, it's stunning
- 423 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- ManonCe tableau est vraiment beau.This painting is truly beautiful.
- HugoOui, c'est un beau chef-d'œuvre.Yes, it is a beautiful masterpiece.
- ManonHugo, tu trouves ça beau ?Hugo, do you find it beautiful?
- HugoAbsolument, c'est magnifique.Absolutely, it is magnificent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries beau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
