bonjour bel homme
The English phrase "hello handsome man" is translated into French as bonjour bel homme.
The phrase is a friendly greeting used to address a man who is physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bonjour (hello/good day), bel (handsome/beautiful) and homme (man).
Which one should you use?
While bonjour bel homme is a grammatically correct way to say "hello handsome man", it sounds somewhat formal or even literary compared to more common modern greetings used for flirting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bonjour bel homme is formal or literary. For a much more common, colloquial way to address an attractive man in a casual setting, you can use salut beau gosse. Other variations include the informal coucou beau mec and the slang, youth-oriented yo bogoss.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective beau (handsome) changes to bel before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or a silent 'h' to avoid a hiatus.
Did you know?
- The word homme shares a surprising common ancestor with the word for 'earthling', derived from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'earth'.
- While beau gosse literally means 'handsome guy', it is often used as a noun to describe a 'pretty boy' or a man who is overly vain about his looks.
- Using coucou instead of bonjour changes the greeting from a standard 'hello' to a very cute or intimate 'hi there'.
Example conversation
Chloé sees Lucas entering a cafe.
- ChloéBonjour bel homme !Hello handsome man!
- LucasMerci Chloé, c'est gentil.Thanks Chloé, that's kind.
- ChloéTu as l'air en forme aujourd'hui.You look great today.
- LucasMerci, toi aussi !Thanks, you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bel, bonjour, homme, CC BY-SA 4.0.
