bleu

French

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /blø/

• audio (du bleu)

  (file)

• Audio (Belgium)

  (file)

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Low Frankish *blāo (“blue”), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhlēw-, *bhlāw- (“yellow, grey, blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhel- (“to shine”). Cogante with Old High German blāo (“blue”) (German blau), Dutch blauw (“blue”), Old English blāw (“blue”). More at blue.

Adjective

bleu m (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 bleux)

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. (Canada) a supporter of the Conservative Party

Synonyms

• (bruise): ecchymose, contusion

Derived terms

• bleuâtre
• bleuet
• bleuetière
• bleuir
• bleuissement
• bleuté
• bleu marin
• bleu roi
• bleu vert

See also

• turquoise
• outremer

External links

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

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Low Frankish *blāo (“blue”), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhlēw-, *bhlāw- (“yellow, grey, blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhel- (“to shine”). Cogante 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