belle
/bɛl/
The phrase "beautiful to a girl" is translated into French as belle.
The adjective is used to describe a girl or woman who is physically attractive.
Which one should you use?
The form belle is used specifically for a girl or woman. In contrast, the masculine form beau is used to describe a boy or man.
How does it change in a sentence?
belle is the feminine singular form of the adjective. To describe multiple girls, you must use the feminine plural form belles.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɛl/
Did you know?
- In French, the phrase belle-mère means 'mother-in-law', but it can also mean 'stepmother'.
- If a French speaker describes a situation as belle et bien, they are not saying it is beautiful, but rather that it is 'well and truly' or 'definitely' the case.
- In French, you might hear the expression la belle époque, which refers to a specific historical period of optimism and prosperity in France.
Examples in context
- Mademoiselle, vous êtes magnifique.Miss, you are beautiful.
- Madame, vous êtes splendide.Madam, you are splendid.
- Mademoiselle, vous êtes ravissante.Miss, you are lovely.
- Tu es canon.You are gorgeous.
- Tu es magnifique.You are beautiful.
- Tu es superbe.You are superb.
- Ton sourire est magnifique.Your smile is beautiful.
- Tu es belle, à l'intérieur comme à l'extérieur.You are beautiful inside and out.
- Elle est très belle.She is very beautiful.
- Ta sœur est belle.Your sister is beautiful.
- C'est une belle femme.She is a beautiful woman.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are looking at a photo of a friend.
- LucasRegarde cette photo, elle est belle.Look at this photo, she is beautiful.
- ManonOui, elle est vraiment charmante.Yes, she is truly charming.
- LucasManon, tu es aussi très belle.Manon, you are also very beautiful.
- ManonMerci, c'est très gentil de ta part.Thank you, that is very kind of you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry belle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
