bonjour beauté
In French, "hello pretty" is expressed as bonjour beauté.
The phrase is an informal greeting used to address someone the speaker finds attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
bonjour beauté is a combination of bonjour (hello or good day) and beauté (beauty).
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English phrase "hello pretty" which uses an adjective, the French version uses the noun beauté (beauty).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bonjour beauté is highly informal and its tone depends heavily on the context. It can be perceived as a flirtatious greeting or even a catcall-style greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
While bonjour beauté is a direct translation of "hello beauty", a more natural way to address an attractive woman is to use bonjour ma belle, which means "hello my beautiful (one)".
Did you know?
- The phrase ma belle can sometimes be used ironically or condescendingly between women, shifting the meaning from 'pretty' to something more like 'my dear'.
- In modern French street culture, greetings like bonjour beauté are often categorized as drague, a term for the act of flirting or 'picking up' someone.
- The word beauté descends from the Latin bellus, which originally meant 'pretty' or 'charming' rather than just 'beautiful'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, Mademoiselle/Madame, vous êtes ravissanteGood day, Miss/Madame, you are lovely
- Bonjour beauté, comment vas-tu ?Hello beauty, how are you?
- Bonjour beauté, tu vas bien ?Hello pretty, are you doing well?
- Bonjour beauté, quel plaisir de te voir.Hello pretty, what a pleasure to see you.
- Bonjour beauté, tu es superbe aujourd'hui.Hello pretty, you look superb today.
Example conversation
Hugo sees Léa at a local café.
- HugoBonjour beauté, comment vas-tu ?Hello pretty, how are you?
- LéaÇa va très bien, merci Hugo.I'm doing very well, thanks Hugo.
- HugoTu es magnifique dans cette robe.You look magnificent in that dress.
- LéaC'est très gentil de ta part.That is very kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beauté, bonjour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
