la vie est belle
la vie est belle is the French way to say life is beautiful.
This phrase is used to express the sentiment that life is beautiful and worth enjoying.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of la (the), vie (life), est (is) and belle (beautiful).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, the colloquial form La vie est ben belle is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective belle is in the feminine singular form to agree with the feminine noun vie.
Did you know?
- The word est is a spelling oddity in French. Apart from the name Jésus-Christ, it is the only common word where the silent internal 's' from its ancestor is preserved in modern spelling.
- While la vie est belle celebrates a positive existence, French speakers use C'est la vie to express a sense of philosophical resignation when something goes wrong.
- In French, the word belle can act as a noun in the expression la belle, which historically referred to a sweetheart or a beautiful woman.
Examples in context
- La vie est belle, n'est-ce pas?Life is beautiful, isn't it?
- Je suis tellement heureux(se). La vie est belle!I am so happy. Life is beautiful!
- Paris est une ville magnifique. La vie y est belle.Paris is a magnificent city. Life is beautiful there.
- Même les petites choses de la vie peuvent être belles.Even the small things in life can be beautiful.
- La vie peut être difficile, mais elle est belle malgré tout.Life can be challenging, but it is beautiful nonetheless.
- Regarde ce coucher de soleil, la vie est belle.Look at this sunset, life is beautiful.
- Après les vacances, je me dis que la vie est belle.After the holidays, I tell myself that life is beautiful.
- On profite de chaque moment car la vie est belle.We enjoy every moment because life is beautiful.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are sitting in a cafe on a sunny afternoon.
- ManonIl fait tellement chaud aujourd'hui, la vie est belle !It is so warm today, life is beautiful!
- LucasTu as raison, Manon, profitons de ce soleil.You are right, Manon, let's enjoy this sun.
- ManonOn devrait faire ça plus souvent.We should do this more often.
- LucasJe suis tout à fait d'accord avec toi.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, la, vie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
