bleu

Etymology

From Middle French bleu. Doublet of blauw.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

bleu (comparative bleuer, superlative bleust)

1. timid, shy

   Synonyms: beschroomd, bedeesd, schroomvallig, schuchter, schuw, timide, verlegen

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef, bleu (“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; “un bleu”:

  (file)

• Audio; “du bleu”:

  (file)

• Audio (Belgium); “le bleu”:

  (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
7. (US) a supporter of the Democratic Party

See also

• turquoise
• outremer

Further reading

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

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -øː

Adjective

bleu (indeclinable)

1. light blue

Etymology

From Frankish *blāu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bløː/

Noun

bleu m (invariable)

1. blue (color)

Adjective

bleu

1. blue

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

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

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blø/

Adjective

bleu m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. light blue

Noun

bleu n (plural bleu-uri)

1. light blue

See also

• albastru

See also