très beau
The English phrase "very beautiful" is très beau in French.
très beau is used to describe someone or something that is extremely attractive or pleasing to look at. Beyond physical appearance, it can also be used to describe a beautiful gesture or a beautiful moment, in which case it carries the meaning of "wonderful" or "lovely".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of très, which means "very" and beau, which means "beautiful".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes to match the gender and number of the noun it describes. Use très belle for a feminine singular noun, très beaux for a masculine plural noun and très belles for a feminine plural noun.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, c'est très beau can be used sarcastically to mean 'that is just great' when something has gone wrong.
- When beau precedes a masculine noun starting with a vowel or silent 'h', it changes to bel to make the phrase flow better.
- The word très shares an ancient linguistic root with the English word 'through', stemming from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to pass over or through'.
Examples in context
- Ce fut très beau.It was very beautiful.This sentence uses très beau to describe a past event.Tatoeba #3652137 by sacredceltic, translation #37854 by CK
- Ce pont est très beau.That bridge is very beautiful.This sentence uses très beau to describe a bridge.Tatoeba #1348480 by sacredceltic, translation #68450 by CK
- Tes yeux sont très beaux.Your eyes are very beautiful.This sentence uses très beau to describe eyes.Tatoeba #6000595 by Aiji, translation #4181267 by CansuVarol
- Cette robe est très belleThis dress is very beautiful
- Ce paysage est extrêmement beauThis landscape is extremely beautiful
- Votre fille est ravissanteYour daughter is lovely
- Elle portait une robe splendideShe was wearing a gorgeous dress
- Il est vraiment canonHe is really hot
- Ta nouvelle maison est vraiment magnifiqueYour new house is truly magnificent
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are visiting an art gallery.
- NathanCe tableau est très beau.This painting is very beautiful.
- LéaOui, je l'adore vraiment.Yes, I really love it.
- NathanLe cadre est très beau aussi.The frame is very beautiful too.
- LéaC'est vrai, tout est parfait.That's true, everything is perfect.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beau, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
