adorable
/a.dɔ.ʁabl/
The English word 'lovely' can be translated into French as adorable.
While the English 'lovely' can describe many different things, the French adorable is more frequently used to describe people, children or pets as being charming or sweet.
Meaning: beautiful, charming, very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner (adj)
Which one should you use?
If you want to convey a sense of loveliness in a more formal way, you can use magnifique.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective adorable is the same in both its masculine and feminine forms. To make adorable plural, add an 's' to the end to form adorables.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /a.dɔ.ʁabl/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of adorable is 'adorābilis', which implies something worthy of being worshipped, a much stronger religious foundation than the casual English 'lovely'.
- While an English speaker might use 'lovely' to describe a piece of scenery, calling a landscape adorable in French would sound strangely patronizing, as if you were treating the mountains like a cute puppy.
- Calling a professional or a superior adorable can be perceived as condescending, as it implies a certain childlike sweetness.
Examples in context
- Tu as une fille adorable.You have a lovely daughter.This sentence is useful for describing a daughter with adorable.Tatoeba #3660939 by sacredceltic, translation #2954523 by CK
- C'est une fille si adorable !She's such a lovely girl!This sentence is useful for emphasizing how lovely a girl is with adorable.Tatoeba #134197 by Julien_PDC, translation #312791 by CK
- C'est un adorable jeune homme.He's a lovely young man.This sentence is useful for describing a young man with adorable.Tatoeba #1957662 by sacredceltic, translation #1956186 by Spamster
- La ville de Paris est vraiment ravissante.The city of Paris is truly lovely.
- Notre hôtel est doté d'un charmant jardin.Our hotel has a lovely garden.
- Quelle robe magnifique tu portes ce soir !What a lovely dress you're wearing tonight!
- Tu as un joli sourire.You have a lovely smile.
- Il a un chaton vraiment mignon.He has a really lovely kitten.
- La soirée était vraiment agréable.The evening was really lovely.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are looking at a photo of a puppy.
- GabrielRegarde ce petit chien, il est adorable !Look at this little dog, it is lovely!
- ChloéOui, il est vraiment trop mignon.Yes, he is really too cute.
- GabrielC'est un adorable petit compagnon.He is a lovely little companion.
- ChloéJe veux le même !I want one just like him!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry adorable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adorable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
