beaux vêtements
The English phrase "nice clothes" is translated into French as beaux vêtements.
Use beaux vêtements to refer to clothing that is attractive or pleasing to look at. While it describes the items of clothing themselves, if you wish to describe a person who is wearing nice clothes, you should instead use bien habillé to mean "well-dressed".
Which one should you use?
beaux vêtements is the plural form used for multiple items of clothing. If you are referring to a single nice outfit rather than multiple items, you would use the feminine singular form belle tenue. For a more casual expression, you can use the informal phrase Des Fringues Cool.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the masculine plural adjective beaux to agree with the masculine plural noun vêtements. Note that in a sentence, the indefinite plural article des changes to de when it appears before the adjective beaux, such as in the phrase de beaux vêtements.
Did you know?
- While beaux vêtements is grammatically correct, French speakers often use the phrase sur son trente-et-un to describe someone wearing their best clothes. This is the equivalent of the English expression 'dressed to the nines'.
- The word tenue used in belle tenue comes from the verb tenir, meaning 'to hold'. Literally, a 'tenue' is the way a person 'holds' themselves through their dress and posture.
- In French fashion circles, the phrase chic is used as both an adjective and a noun. While it means 'stylish', it specifically implies a sophisticated elegance that transcends just having beaux vêtements.
Examples in context
- Tu as de beaux vêtements.You have nice clothes.
- Elle porte de beaux vêtements.She is wearing nice clothes.
- Ce magasin vend de beaux vêtements.This shop sells nice clothes.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are shopping at a boutique.
- GabrielChloé, regarde ces beaux vêtements !Chloé, look at these nice clothes!
- ChloéOui, ils sont très élégants.Yes, they are very elegant.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu aimes ce style ?Do you like this style?
- ChloéOui, j'adore ce genre de tenue.Yes, I love this kind of outfit.
