bien-aimé
/bjɛ̃.n‿ɛ.me/
The English word 'dearest' can be translated into French as bien-aimé.
bien-aimé is used as a noun to refer to a beloved person or as a term of endearment.
Meaning: a beloved person, a term of endearment (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound of bien (well) and aimé (loved), literally meaning 'well-loved'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes to agree with the gender and number of the person being described: bien-aimée is used for a single female, bien-aimés is the masculine plural and bien-aimées is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bjɛ̃.n‿ɛ.me/. It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French religious contexts, le Bien-Aimé is often used as a title for Jesus, echoing the biblical 'Beloved'. This gives the phrase a spiritual weight that 'dearest' does not always carry in English.
- The word aimé shares a root with amitié, meaning 'friendship'. This highlights a linguistic connection between the act of loving and the state of being friends that is more explicit than in English.
- While bien-aimé is poetic, it is rarely used in modern spoken French between couples. Instead, people favor much more casual terms like mon chéri or mon cœur to express the same affection.
Examples in context
- Elle a enfin trouvé son bien-aimé.She finally found her beloved.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are saying goodbye at the train station.
- HugoJe vais te manquer, mon bien-aimé.You will miss me, my dearest.
- ManonOui, tu me manqueras déjà.Yes, I will miss you already.
- HugoReviens-moi vite, Hugo.Come back to me soon, Hugo.
- ManonJe reviendrai très bientôt.I will return very soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bien-aimé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
