quelque chose est beau
To say "something is beautiful" in French, you say quelque chose est beau.
Note that the word beau can mean "beautiful" for objects or "handsome" for men.
Which one should you use?
In casual conversation, French speakers often use c'est beau instead of quelque chose est beau to express that something is beautiful. For more specific nuances, you might use C'est splendide to describe something as splendid and remarkable or C'est ravissant to express delight and charm.
Did you know?
- The word est is a rare spelling survivor. Aside from the name Jésus-Christ, it is the only word in modern French where the silent internal 's' from its Latin ancestor remains visible in the spelling.
- In French, beau can describe a beautiful sunset, a handsome man or even 'fine' weather when saying il fait beau.
- The word beau has a special shortened form, bel, which is used before masculine nouns that start with a vowel or a silent 'h'.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are visiting an art gallery.
- GabrielRegarde ce tableau, Manon.Look at this painting, Manon.
- ManonC'est vrai que quelque chose est beau ici.It is true that something is beautiful here.
- GabrielTu aimes les couleurs ?Do you like the colors?
- ManonOui, j'adore ce style.Yes, I love this style.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beau, chose, est, quelque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
