jolie robe
The English phrase "nice dress" is translated into French as jolie robe.
jolie robe is a compliment used to tell someone that the dress they are wearing looks attractive. In casual conversation, you can omit the subject and verb and simply say the phrase as an exclamation, such as Jolie robe ! to give a compliment.
Which one should you use?
While jolie robe is a standard compliment for something pretty, belle robe implies a higher level of elegance or striking beauty.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, you may encounter the slang Ta robe est trop nice! for "Your dress is really nice!" or T'as un beau kit! to mean "You have a nice outfit!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine adjective jolie and the feminine noun robe, so they must agree in gender. To make the phrase plural, both the adjective and the noun take an 's', resulting in jolies robes.
Did you know?
- The word robe actually shares an ancient root with the English word 'rob' and 'robbery'. It originally referred to 'booty' or stolen goods, such as the clothing stripped from a defeated enemy.
- In French, the word robe is used not only for people but also to describe the color and texture of a horse's coat.
- The word robe is also used in French to refer to the specific color of a wine, particularly when discussing its visual quality.
Examples in context
- C'est une jolie robe.That's a nice dress.This sentence is useful for identifying a dress as being a jolie robe.Tatoeba #3599203 by sacredceltic, translation #3594096 by CK
- Elle m'a confectionné une jolie robe.She made me a nice dress.This sentence shows the use of jolie robe when someone has made a dress.Tatoeba #4775474 by sacredceltic, translation #314232 by CK
- Jolie robe.Nice dress.This sentence shows how to use jolie robe as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #1328962 by Scott, translation #1326299 by Luornu
- Quelle belle robe!What a beautiful dress!
- Ta robe est super belle!Your dress is really beautiful!
- Quelle belle robe! Vous avez beaucoup de goût.What a beautiful dress! You have great taste.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon meet at a party.
- ManonSalut Lucas ! Tu aimes ma tenue ?Hi Lucas! Do you like my outfit?
- LucasOui, c'est une très jolie robe !Yes, it is a very nice dress!
- ManonMerci, c'est gentil de ta part.Thank you, that is kind of you.
- LucasElle te va vraiment bien, Manon.It really suits you, Manon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries robe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
