ma beauté
The English phrase "my beauty" is translated into French as ma beauté.
ma beauté is used in two ways: as a term of endearment to address someone the speaker loves or finds beautiful, and in a literal sense to refer to one's own physical or inner beauty.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the feminine possessive adjective ma (my) and the feminine noun beauté (beauty).
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter ma jolie, which means "my pretty".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because beauté is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine possessive adjective ma instead of the masculine mon.
Did you know?
- Because beauté is a feminine noun, ma beauté is traditionally used for women even if the person being addressed is a man.
- Using ma beauté today can sound theatrical or old-fashioned compared to modern terms like ma puce or mon cœur.
- Between close friends, calling someone ma beauté can sometimes function as an ironic or playful joke rather than a sincere compliment.
Examples in context
- Je choisis d'honorer ma beauté, ma seule façon d'être.I choose to honor my beauty, my only way to be.This sentence shows the literal use of ma beauté when referring to one's own beauty.Tatoeba #8223634 by josivangoncalves, translation #8222201 by josivangoncalves
- Elle est ma beauté éternelle.She is my eternal beauty.
- Bonjour, ma belle. Tu es radieuse aujourd'hui.Hello, my beautiful. You look radiant today.
- Viens ici, ma jolie, laisse-moi te dire à quel point tu es magnifique.Come here, my pretty, let me tell you how beautiful you are.
- Bonne nuit, ma beauté.Goodnight, my beauty.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are greeting each other at home.
- ChloéBonjour, ma beauté !Hello, my beauty!
- LucasOh, tu es très gentil, Lucas.Oh, you are very sweet, Lucas.
- ChloéC'est la vérité.It is the truth.
- LucasMerci beaucoup, mon chéri.Thank you very much, my darling.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
