bienvenu

See also: Bienvenu

French

Etymology

Literally, “well come”, from Old French bienvenu, from Vulgar Latin *bene venūtus, presumably a calque of a Frankish term, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“comer, welcome guest”), from which many modern Germanic forms, as in English welcome. Eclipsed Middle French willecomme, from Old French wilecome (“welcome”), borrowed from Middle Dutch willecome or Middle English welcome.

Many cognates in other Romance languages, such as Spanish bienvenido, Italian benvenuto and Portuguese bem-vindo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bjɛ̃.v(ə).ny/

Adjective

bienvenu (feminine bienvenue, masculine plural bienvenus, feminine plural bienvenues)

1. welcome

   un événement bienvenu

   a welcome event

Usage notes

As an adjective or noun meaning "one who is welcome," bienvenu corresponds in gender to the person who or thing that is welcome. As a noun meaning "the act of welcoming, the state of being welcomed," or an interjection meaning "Welcome!", it is always feminine: bienvenue.

Son ami était le bienvenu. ― Her friend was welcome.

Elle a souhaité la bienvenue à son ami. ― She bade her friend welcome.

Bienvenue! ― Welcome! (to any person or people, invariable for gender or number)

Noun

bienvenu m (plural bienvenus, feminine bienvenue)

1. a person who is welcomed

   Vous êtes le bienvenu ― Welcome!

   Il n’est pas le bienvenu ― He's not welcome.

Participle

bienvenu (feminine bienvenue, masculine plural bienvenus, feminine plural bienvenues)

1. past participle of bienvenir

Further reading

• “bienvenu”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.