beaucoup
/bo.ku/
The English phrase "very much" is translated into French as beaucoup.
beaucoup is used to indicate that something occurs to a very great extent.
Meaning: to a very great extent (adv)
Which one should you use?
There is an important distinction between beaucoup and très. Use beaucoup to mean "very much" when quantifying an action (an adverb), but use très to mean "very" when intensifying an adjective or adverb. You cannot use très to replace beaucoup before a verb.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adverb to modify a verb, beaucoup is invariable and does not change based on the subject or the object.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bo.ku/ and is composed of 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the adverb beaucoup with beaucoup de. English speakers often mistakenly use beaucoup de when they simply mean "very much" (an adverb). However, beaucoup de is used to mean "a lot of" (an adjective) before a noun.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you 'like something very much', you use beaucoup, but if you say j'aime beaucoup, you are actually expressing less intensity than the simple je t'aime, which implies 'I love you'.
- The word beaucoup literally translates to 'a beautiful blow' or 'a good hit' in English.
- In colloquial French, people often replace beaucoup with pas mal to mean 'a lot'.
Examples in context
- Ça m'a beaucoup plu.I enjoyed it very much.This sentence shows how to use beaucoup to express enjoyment.Tatoeba #1809043 by sacredceltic, translation #1808170 by Spamster
- Tu me manques beaucoup.I miss you very much.This sentence uses beaucoup to express how much someone is missed.Tatoeba #9080 by Archibald, translation #18053 by CK
- Ça n'aide pas beaucoup.That doesn't help very much.This sentence uses beaucoup in a negative context to show a lack of help.Tatoeba #7089177 by Aiji, translation #2276918 by CK
- J'apprécie beaucoup votre aideI appreciate your help very much
- Ce projet demande un effort énormément importantThis project requires a very significant effort
- Ce spectacle était carrément incroyable !This show was absolutely incredible!
- Je t'aime tant !I love you so much!
- Je suis méga fan de ce groupe !I am a huge fan of this band!
- 218 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing a book they both read.
- GabrielTu as aimé ce livre ?Did you like this book?
- LéaOui, je l'ai beaucoup aimé !Yes, I liked it very much!
- GabrielMoi aussi, l'histoire est géniale.Me too, the story is great.
- LéaOn en a beaucoup discuté avec mes amis.My friends and I discussed it very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “very much” translations and entries beaucoup, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beaucoup, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
