This list includes 67 French words that start with B, from “baguette” to “bête”. They cover everyday nouns, verbs, and adjectives useful for learners, teachers, and translators. Use it for study, teaching, building flashcards, or creating CSV word lists.
French words that start with B are common vocabulary items you meet in conversation, texts, and media. For example, “baguette” became an international culinary symbol of France in the 20th century.
Below you’ll find the table with French word, English translation, part of speech, and example sentence.
French word: The headword in French, shown so you can learn correct spelling and recognize common forms.
English translation: A concise English equivalent helping you grasp meaning quickly and choose the right translation in context.
Part of speech: Labels like noun, verb, or adjective so you see grammatical role and use words correctly.
Example sentence: A short natural sentence showing typical usage, helping you learn pronunciation, word order, and nuance.
French words that start with B
| Word | Part of speech | English meaning | CEFR level or frequency | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bon | adjective | good | A1 | Very common adjective for quality or taste. Il est bon. (He is good.) |
| bien | adverb | well | A1 | Frequent adverb meaning “well” or “very”. Elle parle bien. (She speaks well.) |
| bonjour | interjection | hello | A1 | Standard greeting used any time of day. Bonjour ! (Hello!) |
| bientôt | adverb | soon | A1 | Common time adverb for near future. À bientôt. (See you soon.) |
| beau | adjective | beautiful | A1 | Describes attractiveness; irregular forms (bel). C’est un beau jardin. (It’s a beautiful garden.) |
| boire | verb | to drink | A1 | Basic verb used for liquids. Je bois de l’eau. (I drink water.) |
| besoin | noun (m) | need | A2 | Common noun for necessity. J’ai besoin d’aide. (I need help.) |
| bureau | noun (m) | office | A1 | Workplace or desk; very common. Je vais au bureau. (I’m going to the office.) |
| baguette | noun (f) | baguette | A2 | Iconic French bread; also a small stick. Il achète une baguette. (He buys a baguette.) |
| bain | noun (m) | bath | A1 | Room or act of bathing. Elle prend un bain. (She’s taking a bath.) |
| bateau | noun (m) | boat | A2 | Watercraft; frequent in travel contexts. Le bateau part à neuf heures. (The boat leaves at nine.) |
| banque | noun (f) | bank | A2 | Financial institution. Je vais à la banque. (I’m going to the bank.) |
| billet | noun (m) | ticket | A2 | Ticket or banknote depending on context. J’ai acheté un billet. (I bought a ticket.) |
| beurre | noun (m) | butter | A1 | Common food item. Mets du beurre sur le pain. (Put butter on the bread.) |
| bleu | adjective | blue | A1 | Basic color adjective. J’aime le ciel bleu. (I like the blue sky.) |
| blanc | adjective | white | A1 | Basic color adjective. Sa chemise est blanche. (His shirt is white.) |
| brun | adjective | brown | A2 | Color adjective often for hair. Elle a les cheveux bruns. (She has brown hair.) |
| bouche | noun (f) | mouth | A1 | Body part; used in many expressions. Ferme la bouche. (Close your mouth.) |
| bras | noun (m) | arm | A1 | Body part used in many contexts. Il se casse le bras. (He breaks his arm.) |
| bouger | verb | to move | A2 | Physical movement or emotional shift. Ne bouge pas. (Don’t move.) |
| brûler | verb | to burn | A2 | To set on fire or feel burning. Le feu brûle. (The fire is burning.) |
| briller | verb | to shine | A2 | Light or talent shining. Les étoiles brillent. (The stars shine.) |
| brosser | verb | to brush | A2 | Teeth, hair, or cleaning motion. Elle brosse son chien. (She brushes her dog.) |
| bricoler | verb | to tinker | B1 | DIY, fixing things at home. Il bricole le dimanche. (He tinkers on Sundays.) |
| bâtir | verb | to build | B1 | Formal/architectural build; similar to construire. Ils bâtissent une maison. (They are building a house.) |
| battre | verb | to beat | B1 | To beat, defeat, or mix (eggs). Il bat les œufs. (He beats the eggs.) |
| blesser | verb | to hurt | A2 | To injure physically or emotionally. Il s’est blessé au pied. (He hurt his foot.) |
| bicyclette | noun (f) | bicycle | A2 | Formal word for bike (also vélo). Elle va à l’école en bicyclette. (She goes to school by bicycle.) |
| boisson | noun (f) | drink | A1 | Beverage or refreshment. Quelle boisson voulez-vous ? (Which drink do you want?) |
| boîte | noun (f) | box | A2 | Container or company (informal). Mets-le dans la boîte. (Put it in the box.) |
| bouchon | noun (m) | cork / jam | B1 | Cork or traffic jam depending on context. Il y a un bouchon sur l’autoroute. (There’s a traffic jam on the highway.) |
| bouton | noun (m) | button | A2 | Clothing fastener or pimple. Appuie sur le bouton. (Press the button.) |
| bord | noun (m) | edge / bank | A2 | Edge of something, shore. Assis au bord du lac. (Sitting at the edge of the lake.) |
| boucher | noun (m) | butcher | A2 | Person who sells meat; same form as verb to block. Le boucher vend du poulet. (The butcher sells chicken.) |
| banal | adjective | banal | B2 | Ordinary or unoriginal; slightly negative. Son discours était banal. (His speech was banal.) |
| bas | adjective | low | A2 | Position or volume; also adverb in other uses. La table est basse. (The table is low.) |
| bref | adjective | brief | B1 | Short in time or to summarize (also used as interjection). En bref, c’est simple. (In short, it’s simple.) |
| beaucoup | adverb | a lot | A1 | Very frequent quantifier. J’aime beaucoup ce livre. (I like this book a lot.) |
| brusquement | adverb | suddenly | B2 | Sudden change or action. Il est parti brusquement. (He left suddenly.) |
| bienvenue | interjection | welcome | A2 | Used to welcome someone or as a noun. Soyez le bienvenu. (Be welcome.) |
| bravo | interjection | well done | A1 | Praise or applause. Bravo pour ton travail ! (Well done on your work!) |
| branche | noun (f) | branch | A2 | Tree branch or department/field. La branche est cassée. (The branch is broken.) |
| brasserie | noun (f) | brewery / café | A2 | Brewery or casual restaurant. Nous dînons à la brasserie. (We’re dining at the brasserie.) |
| budget | noun (m) | budget | B1 | Financial plan; common in work contexts. Le budget est serré. (The budget is tight.) |
| bibliothèque | noun (f) | library | A1 | Place with books for borrowing/studying. Je vais à la bibliothèque. (I’m going to the library.) |
| bouillir | verb | to boil | B1 | Liquid reaching boiling point; cooking verb. L’eau bout. (The water is boiling.) |
| boucler | verb | to fasten / finish | B2 | Close, fasten, or conclude something. Boucle ta ceinture. (Fasten your seatbelt.) |
| but | noun (m) | goal | B1 | Aim, objective, or sports goal. Il a marqué un but. (He scored a goal.) |
| bâtiment | noun (m) | building | A2 | Physical structure; used in cities and work. Le bâtiment est ancien. (The building is old.) |
| brutal | adjective | brutal | B2 | Strong, violent, or harsh. La décision fut brutale. (The decision was brutal.) |
| bruyant | adjective | noisy | B1 | High level of noise. La rue est bruyante. (The street is noisy.) |
| blague | noun (f) | joke | A2 | Funny remark or prank. Il raconte une blague. (He tells a joke.) |
| bonheur | noun (m) | happiness | B1 | State of well-being or joy. Le bonheur est précieux. (Happiness is precious.) |
| bête | adjective | silly / stupid | A2 | Describes a person or action as foolish. Ce jeu est bête. (This game is silly.) |
| bizarre | adjective | strange | B1 | Odd or unexpected; common colloquial use. C’est étrange, un peu bizarre. (It’s strange, a bit odd.) |
| bouquin | noun (m) | book (colloq.) | B2 | Informal word for a book. Je lis un bon bouquin. (I’m reading a good book.) |
| boutique | noun (f) | shop | A2 | Small retail store. Elle ouvre une boutique. (She opens a shop.) |
| bougie | noun (f) | candle | A2 | For light or decoration. Allume la bougie. (Light the candle.) |
| blessé | adjective | injured | B1 | Describes someone hurt, medical context. Il est blessé au bras. (He is injured in the arm.) |
| baisser | verb | to lower | B1 | Reduce level, volume or price. Baisse la voix, s’il te plaît. (Lower your voice, please.) |
| basique | adjective | basic | B1 | Fundamental or simple. Un principe basique. (A basic principle.) |
| blé | noun (m) | wheat | B2 | Grain used for flour; agricultural term. Le blé pousse au printemps. (Wheat grows in spring.) |
| banc | noun (m) | bench | A2 | Seat in park or workshop. Assieds-toi sur le banc. (Sit on the bench.) |
| ballon | noun (m) | ball | A1 | Toy or sports ball. Le ballon est rouge. (The ball is red.) |
| boule | noun (f) | ball / scoop | A2 | Round object or ice cream scoop. Une boule de glace, s’il vous plaît. (One scoop of ice cream, please.) |
| bouleverser | verb | to upset / overwhelm | B2 | Strong emotional disturbance. La nouvelle l’a bouleversé. (The news upset him.) |
| bouée | noun (f) | buoy | B2 | Floating marker for navigation. La bouée signale le danger. (The buoy signals the danger.) |
Descriptions
bon
bien
bonjour
bientôt
beau
boire
besoin
bureau
baguette
bain
bateau
banque
billet
beurre
bleu
blanc
brun
bouche
bras
bouger
brûler
briller
brosser
bricoler
bâtir
battre
blesser
bicyclette
boisson
boîte
bouchon
bouton
bord
boucher
banal
bas
bref
beaucoup
brusquement
bienvenue
bravo
branche
brasserie
budget
bibliothèque
bouillir
boucler
but
bâtiment
brutal
bruyant
blague
bonheur
bête
bizarre
bouquin
boutique
bougie
blessé
baisser
basique
blé
banc
ballon
boule
bouleverser
bouée