bleu

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Late Latin blāvus, from Frankish *blāu (“blue”), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰléh₁-, *bʰlh₁-, *bʰleh₁- (“yellow, grey, blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate with Old High German blāo (“blue”) (German blau), Dutch blauw (“blue”), Old English blāw (“blue”). More at blue.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

• audio

  (file)

• audio (du bleu)

  (file)

• Audio (Belgium)

  (file)

• Homophones: bleue, bleus, bleues

Adjective

bleu (feminine bleue, masculine plural bleus, feminine plural bleues)

1. blue

   Le ciel est bleu. ― The sky is blue.

2. (of meat) very rare, underdone

Noun

bleu m (plural bleus)

1. the color blue
2. blue cheese

   Le bleu ressemble au roquefort ― Blue cheese looks like Roquefort

3. rookie, new recruit, raw recruit

   Ce soldat est un vrai bleu ― This soldier is a real rookie

4. bruise

   Synonyms: ecchymose, contusion

   Il est tombé, et maintenant il a un bleu ― He fell over and now he has a bruise

5. (billiards, snooker) billiard chalk

   Synonym: craie

6. (Canada) a supporter of the Conservative Party

Derived terms

• baleine bleue
• bleu canard
• bleu ciel
• bleu de Chartres
• bleu électrique
• bleu marine
• bleu nuit
• bleu pétrole
• bleu roi
• bleu verdâtre
• bleu, blanc et rouge
• bleu-vert
• bleuâtre
• bleuet
• bleuir
• bleuissement
• bleusaille
• bleuté
• carte bleue
• casque bleu
• chardon bleu des Pyrénées
• cordon bleu
• fleur bleue
• fleuve Bleu
• géante bleue
• Grande Bleue
• nom de bleu
• peur bleue
• requin bleu
• rorqual bleu
• sacrebleu
• sang bleu
• supergéante bleue

 

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: ble
• → Greek: μπλε (ble)
• → Italian: blu
• → Ladino: blu
• Louisiana Creole: blé, ble

See also

Colors in French · couleurs (layout · text)

blanc	gris	noir
rouge; cramoisi, carmin	orange; brun, marron	jaune; crème
vert citron	vert	menthe
cyan, turquoise; bleu canard	azur, bleu ciel	bleu
violet, lilas; indigo	magenta; pourpre	rose

• turquoise
• outremer

Further reading

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

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -øː

Adjective

bleu (indeclinable)

1. light blue

Ligurian

Etymology

From Frankish *blāu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bløː/

Noun

bleu m (invariable)

1. blue (color)

Adjective

-

1. blue

   No gh'ò ciù de lâpi bleu. ― I don't have any more blue pencils.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Late Latin blāvus, from Frankish *blāu (“blue”), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“yellow, grey, blue”), from *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate with Old High German blāo (“blue”) (German blau), Dutch blauw (“blue”), Old English blāw (“blue”). More at blue.

Adjective

bleu m (feminine singular bleue, masculine plural bleus, feminine plural bleues)

1. blue

Noun

bleu m (plural bleus)

1. blue

Descendants

• French: bleu
  • Haitian Creole: ble
  • → Greek: μπλε (ble)
  • → Italian: blu
  • → Ladino: blu
  • Louisiana Creole: blé, ble

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

Adjective

bleu m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. light blue

Declension

Declension of bleu (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	bleu		bleu	bleu	bleu
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive/ dative	indefinite	bleu		bleu	bleu	bleu
	definite	—		—	—	—

Noun

bleu n (plural bleu-uri)

1. light blue

Declension

Declension of bleu

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) bleu	bleu-ul	(niște) bleu-uri	bleu-urile
genitive/dative	(unui) bleu	bleu-ului	(unor) bleu-uri	bleu-urilor
vocative	bleu-ule		bleu-urilor

See also

• albastru

See also

Colors in Romanian · culori (layout · text)

alb	gri	negru
roșu; carmin	portocaliu; maro	galben; crem
	verde	verde mentă
cyan	bleu	albastru
violet; indigo	mov; purpură	roz