belle
/bɛl/feminine
The French word belle means beautiful woman.
As a noun, belle refers to a beautiful woman. It also functions as the feminine singular adjective for beautiful.
Meaning: beautiful woman (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use belle for feminine subjects and beau for masculine subjects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of belle is belles. In its singular form, belle can act as the feminine singular adjective for beautiful.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɛl/
Did you know?
- The term belle-mère uses the word 'belle' to mean 'step-mother' or 'mother-in-law'.
- The English word 'belle' is a direct loanword from French, often used in the phrase 'belle of the ball' to describe the most beautiful woman at a dance.
- The phrase faire la belle is an idiomatic expression meaning to play the coquette or to act haughty and vain.
Examples in context
- Vous êtes d'une beauté éblouissanteYou are stunningly beautiful.
- Tu es vraiment belle aujourd'hui.You look really beautiful today.
- T'es trop belle!You're so beautiful!
- Tu es vraiment canon!You look amazing!
- Waouh, t'es trop belle avec cette tenue!Wow, you look super beautiful in that outfit!
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are looking at a photo of a famous actress.
- NathanRegarde cette actrice, quelle belle !Look at this actress, what a beautiful woman!
- ManonOui, elle est magnifique.Yes, she is magnificent.
- NathanC'est vraiment une belle.She really is a beauty.
- ManonJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “belle” translations and entries belle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
