beau/bo/
adjective / noun / adverb · A1 · Frequency 260
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
handsome, fine, attractive; nice; fair (weather)
Describes the attractiveness of a person or thing, or pleasant weather.
Examples
Son frère est beau et très souriant.
Her brother is handsome and very smiley.
C'est un beau geste envers toute l'équipe.
It is a nice gesture toward the whole team.
Le temps est beau, alors nous allons déjeuner dehors.
The weather is fine, so we are going to have lunch outside.
Collocations
- un beau paysagea beautiful landscape
Common mistakes
C'est une beau maison.
C'est une belle maison.
Before a feminine singular noun, the current lemma beau has the irregular feminine form belle, not beau.
Related words
antonymlaidphysically ugly
nounmasculine
Meanings
dandy; lover, suitor (archaic)
Usually refers to a female's male romantic partner; commonly used in spoken language.
the beautiful (as an aesthetic notion)
Usually used with the definite article: le beau.
Examples
Elle a présenté son beau à ses parents.
She introduced her boyfriend to her parents.
Après le travail, elle retrouve son beau au café.
After work, she meets her boyfriend at the café.
Le beau de Léa lui a préparé un dîner surprise.
Lea's boyfriend prepared a surprise dinner for her.
Collocations
- son beauone's boyfriend
Common mistakes
mon beau
mon petit ami
As a noun, 'beau' is less commonly used; 'petit ami' is more common for boyfriend in spoken language.
ma beau
mon beau
Beau is masculine noun, so masculine possessive adjective 'mon' must be used.
Related words
synonympetit amiboyfriend (boy/man to whom one has a romantic attachment)
adverb
Meanings
in vain
Used as an adverb to indicate that efforts or actions did not achieve the desired result; common in both written and spoken language.
Examples
J'ai beau lui expliquer, il ne change pas d'avis.
I can explain it to him all I want, but he will not change his mind.
Elle a beau courir, le bus est déjà parti.
She can run all she wants, but the bus has already left.
Nous avons beau chercher une solution, le problème reste entier.
No matter how hard we look for a solution, the problem remains unresolved.
Collocations
- essayer beauto try in vain
- chercher beauto look for in vain
- parler beauto speak beautifully (but in vain)
Common mistakes
Il a beau de travailler, il échoue.
Il a beau travailler, il échoue.
The adverb beau meaning “in vain” is used in the fixed structure avoir beau + infinitive; do not add de between beau and the infinitive.
Related words
synonymvainementvainly, in vain
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
handsome, fine, attractive; nice; fair (weather)
Describes the attractiveness of a person or thing, or pleasant weather.
Examples
Elle porte une belle robe pour la cérémonie.
She is wearing a beautiful dress for the ceremony.
Nous avons eu une belle surprise en rentrant chez nous.
We had a pleasant surprise when we got home.
C'était une belle journée pour faire du vélo.
It was a fine day for cycling.
Collocations
- un beau paysagea beautiful landscape
Common mistakes
C'est une beau maison.
C'est une belle maison.
Before a feminine singular noun, the current lemma beau has the irregular feminine form belle, not beau.
Related words
antonymlaidphysically ugly
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
handsome, fine, attractive; nice; fair (weather)
Describes the attractiveness of a person or thing, or pleasant weather.
Examples
Ces jeunes hommes sont beaux et très élégants.
These young men are handsome and very elegant.
Nous avons passé de beaux moments avec nos voisins.
We had some lovely moments with our neighbors.
Les beaux jours reviennent enfin après cet hiver pluvieux.
The fine weather is finally returning after this rainy winter.
Collocations
- un beau paysagea beautiful landscape
Common mistakes
C'est une beau maison.
C'est une belle maison.
Before a feminine singular noun, the current lemma beau has the irregular feminine form belle, not beau.
Related words
antonymlaidphysically ugly