stupide
/sty.pid/feminine, masculine
The English word 'stupid' can be translated into French as stupide or bête.
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| stupide | /sty.pid/ | feminine, masculine |
| bête | /bɛt/ /bɛːt/ |
feminine |
Both words describe a lack of intelligence. Stupide is used to describe someone or something lacking intelligence, while bête can range from meaning 'silly' or 'foolish' in a lighthearted way to being a more insulting term depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
Stupide is often perceived as more formal or clinical. In contrast, bête is more common in everyday speech and can vary from a playful way to call someone 'silly' to a more offensive descriptor.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bête is epicene, meaning it has the same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. The word stupide is also used for both masculine and feminine forms.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of stupide is /sty.pid/.
Did you know?
- In French, the expression être bête comme ses pieds literally means 'to be as stupid as one's feet'.
- In French, calling someone une bête can actually be a compliment, implying they are a 'beast' or a 'monster' of talent in a specific field.
- The word stupide comes from the Latin word stupidus, which originally meant 'struck senseless' or 'amazed'.
Examples in context
- Tu as l'air bête.You look stupid.This sentence shows how to use bête to describe how someone looks.Tatoeba #939454 by sacredceltic, translation #1644 by CK
- Tom est-il bête ?Is Tom stupid?This sentence uses bête to ask a question about someone's intelligence.Tatoeba #8648787 by Micsmithel, translation #3507550 by CK
- Es-tu aussi bête ?Are you that stupid?This sentence uses bête to ask a question about the degree of someone's stupidity.Tatoeba #4134848 by sacredceltic, translation #3730349 by CM
- Cette décision est vraiment bêteThis decision is really stupid
- Il s'est comporté de manière totalement idioteHe behaved in a completely stupid manner
- Sa réponse était totalement niaiseHis/her answer was totally foolish
- Arrête de faire le con!Stop acting stupid!
- Pourquoi tu as fait ça? T'es vraiment con parfois!Why did you do that? You can be really stupid sometimes!
- Leur décision de reporter le projet est vraiment bête, cela va à l'encontre de nos intérêts.Their decision to postpone the project is really stupid, it goes against our interests.
- 415 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are discussing a bad movie they just watched.
- ManonCe film était vraiment stupide.That movie was really stupid.
- GabrielOui, l'histoire était stupide.Yes, the story was stupid.
- ManonGabriel, tu as trouvé ça stupide aussi ?Gabriel, did you find it stupid too?
- GabrielAbsolument, c'était un scénario stupide.Absolutely, it was a stupid script.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations and entries stupide, bête, 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.
