81 beautiful French words and phrases you should learn

French is often said to be the language of love, likely due to the many beautiful words it contains. From their sound to their meaning, such words add poetry when you’re speaking in French. Even though several of them are among the most difficult words to pronounce in French, learning them is well worth the effort. To get you started, here is our list of ten of the most beautiful words in French.

Words, despite being abstract, are considered beautiful at times. In the case of French, many words are labeled as such. How come? A few factors prompt people to define a word as 'beautiful':

Young woman on her balcony learning beautiful French words

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What makes a French word beautiful?

  • French melodic sounds make its pronunciation phonetically elegant. Soft consonants, open vowels, and liaisons add a musical quality to the language and make it rhythmically pleasant.
  • Cultural connotations mostly paint French as the language of romance as well as sophistication.
  • French words aren't that long, but they are rich in meaning.

Top 66 beautiful French words

Time to discover some of the most beautiful French terms out there!

Romantic words

FrenchEnglish
l’amourlove
la rêveriedaydream
enchanté(e)enchanted/delighted
la douceursweetness
le frissonshiver
baiserkiss
la caressecaress
la flammeflame
la joiejoy
la sérénitéserenity
le coeurheart
adorero adore
l’harmonieharmony
la tendressetenderness
ravissant(e)delightful/charming

Nature-inspired words

FrenchEnglish
le papillonbutterfly
l’étoilestar
la fleurflower
la lunemoon
la forêtforest
la rivièreriver
la plagebeach
le soleilsun
la roséedew
le cielsky
la brisebreeze
la cascadewaterfall
la neigesnow
l’oiseaubird
la pluierain

Artistic and poetic words

FrenchEnglish
la poésiepoetry
le refletreflection
la mélodiemelody
la palettepalette
la sculpturesculpture
la nuanceshade/tone
l’émotionemotion
l’ardeurpassion
l’ivresseeuphoria/intoxication
la musemuse
l’éclatsparkle

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Beautiful French everyday words

FrenchEnglish
l’abeillebee
l’amitiéfriendship
l’apaisementcalm
la bisekiss
la brindilletwig
la cachettehiding place
chaleureux/eusewarm (personality)
chouchoterto whisper
la confiancetrust
le dépaysementpositive feeling of disorientation when you are in a foreign place
la détenterelaxation
l’éclairlightning
l’émerveillementwonder/astonishment
l’étincellesparkle
le foyerhome
la frimoussesweet kid’s face
la gourmandiseindulgence
la libellulefirefly
la matinéemorning
la merveillemarvel/wonder
le mielhoney
la panacheflamboyant confidence 
le ruisseauwater stream
le tourbillonwindwhirl

15 beautiful French phrases and idioms

FrenchEnglish
Coup de foudreLove at first sight (lit. bolt of lightning)
Être dans la luneTo daydream (lit. to be in the moon)
Quand on aime, on ne compte pasWhen you love something or someone, you don't worry about how much money you're spending
Avoir un cœur d’artichautTo be overly sentimental (lit. to have an artichoke heart)
Jeter l’épongeTo give up (lit. to throw the sponge)
Rentrer dans sa coquilleTo retreat into one’s shell
Avoir d’autres chats à fouetterTo have bigger fish to fry (lit. to have other cats to whip)
Ne pas être dans son assietteTo not feel well (lit. to not be in one’s own plate)
Mettre la puce à l’oreilleTo plant a suspicion (lit. to put a flea in one’s ear)
C’est pas la mer à boireIt’s not a big deal (lit. it’s not the sea - you have - to drink)
Les carottes sont cuitesIt’s too late (lit. the carrots are cooked)
Chercher midi à quatorze heuresTo overcomplicate things (lit. to look for midday at 2pm)
Tomber dans les pommesTo faint (lit. to fall on the apples)
En faire tout un fromageTo make a big deal out of nothing (lit. to make cheese out of everything)
Mettre de l’eau dans son vinTo compromise (lit. to put water in one's wine)
Être dans de beaux drapsTo in a difficult situation (lit. to be in some nice sheets)

Learn by heart some of the most beautiful French words and their meanings

We could go on and on, but our list is a good start to give you a taste of some of the most beautiful words and expressions in French. You can learn their different meanings and practice their pronunciation, as well as some of the expressions they can appear in. It’s the surest way to fall in love with the language! 

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Anne-Lise Vassoille

Anne-Lise Vassoille

Anne-Lise is a translator and copywriter working for various industries... Settled down in London, she cannot get enough of the exceptional cultural life in the English capital city, starting with theater, be it to see a new West End show or to roll up her sleeves with her amateur drama group. She is also interested in photography, as her Instagram profile shows. She indulges her passion for languages in a translation blog she writes with other linguist friends. Go to her Linkedin page to know more about her background and her professional experience.