la vie est belle
The English phrase "life is beautiful" is translated into French as la vie est belle.
This phrase is a positive statement used to express that existence is wonderful and worth living.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from la (the), vie (life), est (is) and belle (beautiful).
Which one should you use?
For the concept of life, belle is the standard. If you wanted to say "life is handsome" (referring to a person), you would use the masculine form beau, but that is not used here.
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?
- In French culture, the sentiment la vie est belle is often used as a defiant statement of optimism during times of hardship or tragedy.
- While vie means 'life', it shares a common ancestor with the French word voie, which means 'way' or 'path'. This connects the concept of living to the physical idea of a route or passage.
- Using la vie est belle as a brand or slogan in France often evokes a sense of leisure and the 'art of living', known as l'art de vivre.
Examples in context
- La vie est belle.Life is beautiful.This sentence shows the basic use of la vie est belle.Tatoeba #3651 by TRANG, translation #1829 by CK
- La vie est belle, mais onéreuse.Life is beautiful but expensive.This sentence uses la vie est belle in a sentence describing life as expensive.Tatoeba #8471682 by felix63, translation #13717500 by zogwarg
- La vie est belle. Personne n'a dit que c'était simple.Life is beautiful. No one said it was simple.This sentence uses la vie est belle to contrast the beauty of life with its lack of simplicity.Tatoeba #11045812 by carlosalberto, translation #6976965 by shekitten
- Monsieur Dupont, lors de cette soirée, je dois dire que la vie est belle.Mister Dupont, on this evening, I must say that life is beautiful.
- On a passé une journée incroyable dans ce parc d'attractions ! La vie, c'est magnifique.We had an incredible day at this amusement park! Life is beautiful.
- Quand je regarde les étoiles, je me dis que la vie est belle, un point c'est tout !When I look at the stars, I tell myself that life is beautiful, that's the end of it!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are sitting in a park on a sunny afternoon.
- ManonRegarde ce beau paysage, la vie est belle.Look at this beautiful landscape, life is beautiful.
- HugoTu as raison, Manon, c'est un moment parfait.You are right, Manon, it is a perfect moment.
- ManonJe suis vraiment heureuse d'être ici avec toi.I am truly happy to be here with you.
- HugoMoi aussi, profite bien de cette journée.Me too, enjoy this day to the fullest.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
