One French Word - Episode 13: Beaucoup
The café is packed this morning, every table taken, and your friend nods at the room: beaucoup de monde.
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One French Word - Episode 13: Beaucoup
Today's word is beaucoup — the French word for a lot, as in a lot of people, a lot of work, and thanks a lot. 1
Say it in two beats: boh, then KOO. The p at the end stays silent, and the stress falls on the second beat. Wiktionary gives the French pronunciation as /bo.ku/. 2
The everyday shape puts de in the middle: beaucoup de plus a noun, with no article after it. Lawless French files beaucoup with the adverbs of quantity, the everyday words that say how much. 3
- beaucoup de monde — a lot of people
- beaucoup de travail — a lot of work
- beaucoup de chance — a lot of luck
French says beaucoup de travail, never beaucoup du travail. 1
After a verb, beaucoup means a lot or very much:
- merci beaucoup — thanks a lot
- j'aime beaucoup ce café — I really like this café
- il travaille beaucoup — he works a lot 1
It also stands alone as a short answer: Tu aimes Paris ? — Oui, beaucoup. (Do you like Paris? — Yes, a lot.)
Two positions to remember: beaucoup de before a noun, beaucoup after a verb.
References
- 1Collins Dictionary - French-English: beaucoup
collinsdictionary.com
- 2Wiktionary - beaucoup
en.wiktionary.org
- 3Lawless French - Adverbs of Quantity
lawlessfrench.com
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