France in all its romantic European glory is steeped in history with a rich language that matches its cultural depth. Widely known as the language of love, French, a romance language of Europe, has always been known for its eloquent phrases and elegant pronunciations. There are beautiful French words which are beautiful to speak and wonderfully evocative.
Learning these is fun and they’re useful words for both conversation and writing, really helping you spice up your French vocabulary. These beautiful French words will impress French native speakers and enhance your pronunciation of both simple and advanced phonetic sounds.
Here are the most beautiful French words
Argent – silver
Argent is used in English too to refer to something silver and shiny. For example,a damsel in distress may be rescued by an argent squire..romantic!
Masculine, noun
Atout – asset
Masculine, noun
Arabesque – in Arabic fashion or style
Feminine, noun
Bijoux – jewelry
Masculine, noun
Bisous – kisses
Masculine, noun
Example: ‘She said farewell to him with lots of hugs and kisses’ – Elle lui a dit adieu avec beaucoup de câlins et de bisous
Bonbon – candy
This French word for candy is used all over the world. Bonbons mean candy in a lot of countries, it’s a word which suits them perfectly
Masculine, noun
Brindille – twig
Feminine, noun
Example: ‘Twigs and leaves crack underfoot in the autumn sun’ – Sous le soleil d’autumn les brindilles et les feuilles se cassent sous nos pas
Câlin – hug
Masculine, noun
Cliché – stereotype
Masculine, noun
Chagrin – grief
Masculine, adjective
Cherie – dear
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Mon Cheri’ in a romantic movie? It means ‘my dear’ or ‘my darling’.
Feminine, noun
Chouchou – darling
Feminine, noun
Coeur – heart
Masculine, noun
Example: ‘The sacred heart is a famous parisian church’ – Le sacré cœur est une église parisienne
Consciencieuse – conscientious
Feminine, adjective
Coquelicot – poppy
Masculine, noun
Couture – sewing
Feminine, verb
Créneau – niche
Masculine, noun
Décolleté – neckline on a woman’s dress or top
Masculine, noun
éphémère – ephemeral, (lasting a short time)
Masculine, noun
Escargot – snail
L’escargot are snails, which are world famous delicacies in French cuisine.
Masculine, noun
Étoile – star
Feminine, noun
Excellence – to surpass
Yes, this really is the same as the English word excellence and their definitions are the same.
Feminine, adjective
Florilège – anthology
Masculine, noun
Jolie – pretty
Some surnames, like that of Angelina Jolie use this French word.
Feminine, adjective
Incroyable – incredible
Another French word which sounds very close to its English equivalent.
Feminine, noun
Libellule – dragonfly
Feminine, noun
Example: ‘A dragonfly zips over glistening water’ – La libellule se faufile sur l’eau brillante
Magnifique – wonderful
Feminine, adjective
Mélange – mixture
Masculine, noun
Noir – black
Noir is used internationally to denote dark films and cinema, a trend which originated in France; ‘Film Noir’
Masculine, adjective
Pamplemousse – grapefruit
Masculine, noun
Pantoufle – slipper
Feminine, noun
Papillon – butterfly
This French word seems delicate, just like a butterfly. French words have an awesome ability to mirror the fragility of what they are describing.
Masculine, noun
Parapluie – umbrella
You can see here the common prefix ‘para’ meaning ‘beside’ or ‘at one side’. So a parasol, which is an umbrella for the sun, means that it is beside the sun (and therefore shielding it).
Masculine, noun
Paupiette – a piece of meat, beaten thin, and rolled with a stuffing of vegetables, fruits or sweetmeats
Feminine, noun
Romanichel – gypsy
Feminine, noun
Silhouette – silhouette
Feminine, noun
Soirée – evening
Soiree is used in English to denote a posh or formal night, usually with accompanying musical performance or other similar artful activity.
Feminine, noun
Tournesol – sunflower
Feminine, noun
Vichyssoise – from vichy
Masculine, noun
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