bonté
/bɔ̃.te/feminine
The English phrase 'goodness' is translated into French as bonté.
bonté refers to the state or characteristic of being good.
Meaning: state or characteristic of being good (noun)
Which one should you use?
While bonté refers to the quality of being kind or virtuous, le bien refers to 'the good' in a moral or material sense, such as the concept of good versus evil or material goods.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun bonté is feminine and is typically preceded by the feminine definite article la (la bonté).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /bɔ̃.te/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The English word 'bounty' is a direct relative of bonté, sharing the same Latin ancestor. While they look different, they are essentially two branches of the same linguistic tree.
- The word bon is the root of many common French words, such as 'bonbon', which literally means 'good-good' and refers to candy. It implies something is 'good' to eat.
- French uses bonhomie to describe a specific kind of cheerful, uncomplicated bonté that is friendly and unassuming.
Examples in context
- Beauté sans bonté ne vaut rien.Beauty without goodness is worth nothing.This sentence illustrates the concept of beauty without bonté.Tatoeba #8614774 by Aiji, translation #20772 by AlanF_US
- Monsieur, votre sagesse est aussi grande que votre bonté.Sir, your wisdom is as great as your goodness.This sentence compares a person's wisdom to their bonté.Tatoeba #4269465 by mariezou, translation #8668112 by Mediabat
- La bonté est une vertu admirableGoodness is an admirable virtue
- Elle montre une grande gentillesse envers les autresShe shows great kindness towards others
- Sa bienveillance envers les démunis est exemplaireHis/her compassion towards the underprivileged is exemplary
- C'est de la pure bonté !That's pure goodness!
- Quelle gentillesse de ta part !How kind of you!
- La bonté est essentielle pour construire des relations saines.Goodness is essential to building healthy relationships.
- Quelle gentillesse, merci pour ton aide !How kind, thank you for your help!
- Son bonheur se reflète dans ses actes de bonté envers les autres.His/her happiness is reflected in acts of goodness towards others.
- Sa bonté est vraiment exemplaire.His goodness is truly exemplary.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are discussing a mutual friend's character.
- ManonIl a tellement de bonté.He has so much goodness.
- HugoC'est un homme très généreux.He is a very generous man.
- ManonSa bonté me touche beaucoup.His goodness touches me a lot.
- HugoTout le monde l'apprécie.Everyone appreciates him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodness” translations and entries bonté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonté, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
