salut, beauté
The English phrase "hi, cutie" can be translated into French as salut, beauté.
salut, beauté is an informal and flirtatious greeting used to address someone the speaker finds attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of salut (hi/bye) and beauté (beauty).
Which one should you use?
While beauté literally means "beauty", in this context it functions as a term of endearment similar to "cutie" or "handsome/beautiful one".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This phrase is informal and carries a flirtatious tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word beauté is used here as a noun in apposition to address the person directly, rather than as an adjective.
Did you know?
- French has a wide array of food-based terms of endearment, such as mon chou (my cabbage), which are used in similar intimate contexts where beauté might feel too direct.
- While 'beauté' is a feminine noun, you might use it to address a man if you are being particularly playful or poetic. In this context, the gender of the word refers to the concept of 'beauty' itself rather than the gender of the person.
- The word salut shares a root with the English word 'salute', but in French, it is used as a casual greeting rather than a formal military gesture.
Examples in context
- Coucou, Mignonne ! Comment ça va ?Hi, Cutie! How are you?
- Salut, beauté !Hi, cutie!
- Alors, salut, beauté, comment ça va ?So, hi, cutie, how are you?
- Je te dis juste : salut, beauté.I'm just telling you: hi, cutie.
Example conversation
Manon approaches Gabriel at a cafe.
- ManonSalut, beauté, tu m'as manqué.Hi, cutie, I missed you.
- GabrielOh, salut Manon, c'est gentil.Oh, hi Manon, that's sweet.
- ManonTu es très beau aujourd'hui.You look very handsome today.
- GabrielMerci, tu es adorable.Thank you, you are adorable.
