Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bête | /bɛt/ /bɛːt/ |
feminine |
| stupide | /sty.pid/ | feminine, masculine |
The primary way to express being lacking in intelligence is through the word bête, which can mean 'stupid', 'silly' or 'foolish'. There are other informal options: Débile can mean 'stupid' or 'moronic', and Con(ne) is an informal way to say 'stupid' that may be considered slightly offensive. If you want to describe someone as being 'out of it' or 'unaware', you can use the informal expression à l'ouest.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective bête is etymologically derived from the noun meaning 'beast' or 'animal'.
Which one should you use?
The term bête is often used colloquially to mean 'silly' or 'foolish' in a way that is less harsh than the term stupide.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word bête is invariable in gender, meaning it stays the same for both masculine and feminine subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɛt/
Did you know?
- The word stupide originates from the Latin stupidus, which meant 'struck senseless' or 'amazed' rather than lacking intelligence.
- While stupide and bête are common, the term con is so pervasive in informal French that it can be used as a comma or a filler word among close friends.
- The word bête can be used to describe an object as 'stupidly' simple or pointless, such as une erreur bête for a 'silly mistake'.
Examples in context
- Tu as l'air bête.You look stupid.This sentence is useful for describing how someone looks using bête.Tatoeba #939454 by sacredceltic, translation #1644 by CK
- Tom est-il bête ?Is Tom stupid?This sentence is useful for asking a question about someone being bête.Tatoeba #8648787 by Micsmithel, translation #3507550 by CK
- Es-tu aussi bête ?Are you that stupid?Tatoeba #4134848 by sacredceltic, translation #3730349 by CM
- C'est une idée vraiment bête.That's a really stupid idea.
- Cette décision est vraiment stupide.This decision is really stupid.
- Arrête de dire des choses aussi débiles !Stop saying such stupid things!
- 415 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are arguing about a mistake Hugo made.
- EmmaPourquoi as-tu fait ça, Hugo ?Why did you do that, Hugo?
- HugoJe ne sais pas, c'était un accident.I don't know, it was an accident.
- EmmaTu es vraiment bête parfois !You are really stupid sometimes!
- HugoArrête de m'insulter, Emma.Stop insulting me, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations and entries bête, stupide, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bête, stupide, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
