bel

handsome, beautiful (pre-vocalic form of 'beau')

adjective BEL Less Common

Usage Note

Bel is the pre-vocalic masculine form of beau, used before a masculine noun beginning with a vowel or silent 'h': un bel homme, un bel enfant. It is not interchangeable with beau before consonants. Bel et bien is a fixed phrase meaning 'indeed, truly'.

Examples

"C'est un bel homme aux yeux bleus."

Natural Translation

He is a handsome man with blue eyes.

Literal Translation

It-is a handsome man with-the eyes blue

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