One of the very first words I learned in French was the adjective beau.
In English it means a dandy or a male admirer, boyfriend or lover that is usually rich and fashionable. (That's what girls really mean when they say a guy is handsome, isn't it?)
As a French adjective beau is everywhere identifying the beautiful: from être beau garçon to le beau monde. As if that wasn't enough, the French beau proves that he isn't just another pretty face. He's a hard worker impacting the French language with transformative powers that goes beyond beautification:
beau with nouns
un père = father > beau père = father-in-law, stepfather
bébé = baby > beau bébé = bouncing baby
parleur = talker > beau parleur = big mouth, smooth talker
beau with verbs
il fait beau = nice weather
faire le pluie et le beau temps = to call the shots
Il fait le beau = he is showing off
on a beau dire = say what you like
j'ai beau essayer, je ne comprends pas = try as I might, I don't understand
faire le beau (dog) = to sit up and beg
beau with the devil
se démener comme un beau diable = struggle like a madman
(from what I understand used in the sense of trying to escape from something)
être beau garçon = good looking boy
le beau monde = high society
belle is the femine form of beau
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