C'est beau
In French, "that is beautiful" is expressed as C'est beau.
C'est beau is used to express that something is aesthetically pleasing or impressive. You can use it to describe visual beauty, such as a landscape or abstract beauty, such as a beautiful piece of music or a beautiful gesture.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a contraction of ce (it/this) and est (is), followed by the adjective beau (beautiful).
Which one should you use?
If you feel C'est beau is too simple, you can use C'est magnifique to express a higher degree of awe or wonder. For more informal emphasis, you can use C'est trop beau! (It's so beautiful!), C'est super joli! (It's really pretty!), C'est canon! (It's stunning!) or C'est grave beau! (It's seriously beautiful!).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, you may hear the expressions C'est beau en maudit! or C'est ben beau! to mean "It's really beautiful!"
Did you know?
- While beau means 'beautiful', the phrase C'est beau can be used sarcastically to mean 'That's just great' when something goes wrong.
- In some contexts, C'est beau is used as a conversational filler to signal that you have understood a point and the other person can stop talking.
- The slang term C'est canon used for beauty literally translates to 'It is a cannon'.
Examples in context
- C'est beau.That is beautiful.This example shows the use of C'est beau.Tatoeba #837672 by sacredceltic, translation #1097948 by cntrational
- Wow, c'est trop beau! Cette robe te va super bien!Wow, it's so beautiful! That dress looks amazing on you!
- Regarde la vue, c'est beau.Look at the view, it is beautiful.
- C'est beau, ce tableau.This painting is beautiful.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are looking at a sunset in a park.
- NathanRegarde le coucher de soleil, c'est beau !Look at the sunset, it is beautiful!
- ChloéOui, c'est vraiment magnifique.Yes, it is truly magnificent.
- NathanTu aimes ces couleurs ?Do you like these colors?
- ChloéOui, j'adore ce paysage.Yes, I love this landscape.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
