bleu

French

Etymology

From Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), 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)

Adjective

bleu (feminine singular 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

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

5. (billiards, snooker) billiard chalk
6. (Canada) a supporter of the Conservative Party

Synonyms

• (billiard chalk): craie
• (bruise): ecchymose, contusion

Derived terms

Derived terms

• bleuâtre
• bleu ciel
• bleu de Chartres
• bleuet
• bleuir
• bleuissement

• bleu marine
• bleu nuit
• bleu roi
• bleuté
• bleu vert

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: ble
• → Greek: μπλε (ble)
• → Italian: blu

See also

• turquoise
• outremer

Further reading

• “bleu” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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German

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

bleu

1. light blue

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Ligurian

Etymology

From Frankish *blāu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bløː/

Noun

bleu m (invariable)

1. blue (color)

Adjective

bleu (invariable)

1. blue

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

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), 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

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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