# he is sexy + he is cute



## letty321

could anyone tell me how to say he is sexy    and also   he is cute in french


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## Clana

"Il est sexy," and "il est joli".  There's probably something more casual than "joli", though.


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## letty321

what is it?


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## Markus

He is cute = il est mignon


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## letty321

o ok thank you


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## Mycall

"Il est craquant" or "il est trognon..."


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## lyrwriter

Markus said:
			
		

> He is cute = il est mignon



To the best of my knowledge, "mignon" means cute, as in an adorable little kid ("Aww, he's so cute!"). If you want to say someone just has "that special something", a French idiomatic expresion would be "il a la peche" (literally, "he's got the peach"). Unfortunately, it doesn't translate very well, and the best English comparison I can think of is "he's got that special something". If you're just talking about physicality, I think "il est sexy" would be a better choice.

Hope that helps!


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## Markus

lyrwriter said:
			
		

> To the best of my knowledge, "mignon" means cute, as in an adorable little kid ("Aww, he's so cute!"). If you want to say someone just has "that special something", a French idiomatic expresion would be "il a la peche" (literally, "he's got the peach"). Unfortunately, it doesn't translate very well, and the best English comparison I can think of is "he's got that special something". If you're just talking about physicality, I think "il est sexy" would be a better choice.
> 
> Hope that helps!



I've heard "il est mignon" here lots lots lots to describe les beaux garçons. You're right that it is used more for younger people, like teens or 20's. But isn't that the same in English with cute?


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## charlie2

Je crois que "avoir la pêche" veut dire "être en pleine forme" et donc elle a rien à voir avec "cute" ou "have special something", n'est-ce pas?


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## Egnalos

Bonjour,

"Avoir la pêche" renvoie à l'idée de dynamique, c'est le fait d'être en pleine forme et de bonne humeur. Cela ne donne aucune indication sur l'apparence de la personne.


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## geve

true, "avoir la pêche" has nothing to do with physical appearance...

"il est mignon" works well, but as Markus said, maybe more for younger people.
More mature women (or men !) tend to be more cautious and use understatements like "Il est pas mal du tout" = he's not ugly at all... meaning he's very cute


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## Markus

This is the same in English geve, with older people using understatements such as you mentioned ("he's not bad at all!"). I'm going to take a leap and say that cute and mignon work as perfect translations for each other in every subtlety.


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## geve

You can also say "il est chou" - but only if you're under 15 or wanting to talk girlish
Same for "il est trognon" suggested by Mycall (short for "il est trop mignon")


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## Danse Macabre

FOr "this special somethin" we say in french "il a un/ce petit quelquechose de spécial"


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## pieanne

I think the best is "il est craquant!". It conveys *both* cute & sexy!


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## JazzByChas

Egnalos said:
			
		

> Avoir la pêche" renvoie à l'idée de dynamique, c'est le fait d'être en pleine forme et de bonne humeur. Cela ne donne aucune indication sur l'apparence de la personne.



According to our own Wordreference.com: avoir la pêche (être en forme) (familier) v = feel like a million bucks, be at the top of your game, etc.




			
				pieanne said:
			
		

> I think the best is "il est craquant!". It conveys *both* cute & sexy!




Craquant: irresistible, probably from the rendition of _craquer_ which means “sizzle” 

One could also try “hot” = _chaud, ardent, sensual_; or just plain “sexy” which is the same in both languages. Although saying, _“Il est chaud”_ may be a false friend. Comments from French natives?





			
				geve said:
			
		

> More mature women (or men !) tend to be more cautious and use understatements like "Il est pas mal du tout" = he's not ugly at all... meaning he's very cute




I would even go further and say that its literal translation is what we would say in America, “S/He’s not bad at all!” or Il/Elle n'eest pas trop glauque" = "S/He's not too shabby!" (on the "Shabby" part, I may need some advice from our Native French speakers again... )

Chas.


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## somody

On peut aussi dire "Il/Elle est chouette!"


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## letty321

somody said:
			
		

> On peut aussi dire "Il/Elle est chouette!"


doesnt that mean great


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## somody

letty321 said:
			
		

> doesnt that mean great


 chouette means alot of things!


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## OlivierG

somody said:
			
		

> chouette means alot of things!


Not that much. About the same number as "great"


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## somody

OlivierG said:
			
		

> Not that much. About the same number as "great"


lol...d'accord!


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## Mycall

Personally I'm always gratified with "Il est bogoss" or "Il est (super) canon"...


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## geve

JazzByChas said:
			
		

> Although saying, _“Il est chaud”_ may be a false friend. Comments from French natives?


False friend it is... "il est chaud" doesn't mean "he's sexy" but rather "he is motivated" - either for sex, sport, or fight (and mostly among young people)
But I think Mycall's suggestions would be good translations for "he's hot" ! 

We don't use either the word "glauque" for persons. In the common language glauque is used for places that are dark, hollow, dirty... Though originally, the word actually means "that has the color of the sea". Anyway, it would not be used as "shabby" is in America !


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## JazzByChas

geve said:
			
		

> We don't use either the word "glauque" for persons. In the common language glauque is used for places that are dark, hollow, dirty... Though originally, the word actually means "that has the color of the sea". Anyway, it would not be used as "shabby" is in America !



Alors, Monsieur geve, comment on dit un phrase pareil pour "Not too shabby" en Francais? Ça m’interesserait beaucoup…

Chas.


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## texasweed

To be perfectly accurate, the literal translation is :
"Il est sexy" + "il est mignon"
 
Take it from a translator who's spent 20 years in France, 20 years in the States  
 
Now, heck, I'm stuck on :
La part de votre crédit d’options utilisé s’élève à :
 
YIKES !


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## texasweed

Mycall said:
			
		

> Personally I'm always gratified with "Il est bogoss" or "Il est (super) canon"...


 
Nonsense, beau gosse !  
"Beau gosse" is used when referring to a child (male,) or a YOUNG man.
"Sexy" is however perfectly legitimate in French.
Super canon has a connotation of beautiful and hot.

I maintain : il est sexy et il est mignon.


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## pieanne

Well, I use "glauque" for persons, situations, etc... Meaning they have a bad, non-positive aura    Weird, suspiscious...

My non-native understanding of "shabby" is a bit like that of "frayed", that is "pas net", "déjà utilisé", "fatigué", "usé" ...

Can someone tell me if I'm wrong?


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## Agnès E.

Bonjour texasweed,
Bienvenue sur le forum !




> Now, heck, I'm stuck on :
> La part de votre crédit d’options utilisé s’élève à :
> 
> YIKES !


Voulez-vous dire que vous avez une question à poser ? Alors, veuillez la poser en ouvrant un nouveau fil, s'il-vous-plaît. Je vous incite fortement à lire ou relire les règles de notre forum, afin de mieux vous familiariser avec notre modus operandi... Merci ! 



> 9. Please stay within the topic area of the forum you are posting a message in, and within any topic that another poster may have started. If you want to discuss another topic, start a new thread.


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## geve

JazzByChas said:
			
		

> Alors, Monsieur geve, comment on dit un phrase pareil pour "Not too shabby" en Francais? Ça m’interesserait beaucoup…


Il n'est pas laid, il n'est pas moche, il se laisse regarder, il est regardable, il n'est pas trop vilain, il n'est pas dégeu (short for dégeulasse which would not fit here), il est potable, ce n'est pas un thon... Make your choice ! 
(I'm not sure which one would best translate the 'spirit' of "not too shabby"...)

Mademoiselle geve


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## JazzByChas

pieanne said:
			
		

> Well, I use "glauque" for persons, situations, etc... Meaning they have a bad, non-positive aura  Weird, suspiscious...
> 
> My non-native understanding of "shabby" is a bit like that of "frayed", that is "pas net", "déjà utilisé", "fatigué", "usé" ...
> 
> Can someone tell me if I'm wrong?


 
I can tell you, pieanne, that in english, "Shabby" means old, used, frayed, fallen into disrepair a bit, rumpled, worn, etc.

I'm still not sure how one would say that in french.

Chas.


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## geve

texasweed said:
			
		

> "Beau gosse" is used when referring to a child (male,) or a YOUNG man.


Well, I'm pretty sure some would think Alain Delon is a beau gosse. But then, maybe a 70 y.o. movie star IS a young man...


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## Agnès E.

Hem... peut-être pourrait-on quand même admettre que, passé un certain âge, on verse du beau gosse dans le vieux beau, quand même, non ?


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## pieanne

"dévasté", "usé", "passé la date limite", "déglingué"... ?


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## Mycall

geve said:
			
		

> Il n'est pas laid, il n'est pas moche, il se laisse regarder, il est regardable, il n'est pas trop vilain, il n'est pas dégeu (short for dégeulasse which would not fit here), il est potable, ce n'est pas un thon... Make your choice !
> (I'm not sure which one would best translate the 'spirit' of "not too shabby"...)
> 
> Mademoiselle geve


 
For a man: "Il est potable"

For a woman: "Elle est mettable"


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## pieanne

"elle est mettable"


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## geve

Agnès E. said:
			
		

> Hem... peut-être pourrait-on quand même admettre que, passé un certain âge, on verse du beau gosse dans le vieux beau, quand même, non ?


Eh bien, Agnès, tout est question de goût... Bon, j'admets qu'Alain Delon était peut-être un exemple extrême  

Prenons plutôt Brad Pitt (42), Johnny Depp (42), Georges Clooney (44)... Je suis persuadée qu'ils peuvent concourir au palmarès actuel des beaux gosses ! La question est donc : où est la limite...


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## geve

pieanne said:
			
		

> "elle est mettable"


I have to agree with Pieanne.

Why can't a woman be 'potable' ?


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## JazzByChas

Agnès E. said:
			
		

> Hem... peut-être pourrait-on quand même admettre que, passé un certain âge, on verse du beau gosse dans le vieux beau, quand même, non ?


 
Alors, Agnès, c’est vrais…passé un certain age, les vieux beau ( aux yeux des vielles belles) sont « chou » ou « mignon » ou  «les beaux gosses », spécialement si les vielles belles ont les cœurs jeunes. 

 
Chas.


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## Agnès E.

Ah, Chas, French is a rather sexist language... we use _vieux beau_ for an ex-handsome man who is still convinced to have kept all his charming features, but we don't use _vieille belle_... 
Nevertheless, you humoristically expressed a lovely thought.


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## JazzByChas

Mycall said:
			
		

> For a man: "Il est potable"
> 
> For a woman: "Elle est mettable"


 
if potable =  "drinkable", or "consumable", and
mettable = "wearable" or "able to be put on (like clothes)"

I don't see why the terms couldn't apply to both, IMHO.

Chas.


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## OlivierG

Well, please forget "mettable". In this context, it's quite vulgar.


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## geve

potable is also a synonymous for "passable"
as for "mettable", is it just me or could we find there some sexist connotation ?

_Edit : thanks OlivierG, then it isn't just me..._


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## JazzByChas

Agnès E. said:
			
		

> Ah, Chas, French is a rather sexist language... we use _vieux beau_ for an ex-handsome man who is still convinced to have kept all his charming features, but we don't use _vieille belle_...
> Nevertheless, you humoristically expressed a lovely thought.


 
Well, thank you, Agnès..._Je l'apprecie!_

And shame on the French language for being so sexist...


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## JazzByChas

OlivierG said:
			
		

> Well, please forget "mettable". In this context, it's quite vulgar.


 
Actually, Olivier, I must agree...the image that came to mind was...quite vulgar.


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## texasweed

You're all very funny and creative ! But I suggest you abstain from digressing.…
As a translator who is not allowed to interpret but only TRANSLATE, I maintain that the literal, exact and precise translation requested by the original author of this query is :
 
*"il est sexy" + "il est mignon"*
 
Punctuation left as in original text.


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## texasweed

geve said:
			
		

> Well, I'm pretty sure some would think Alain Delon is a beau gosse. But then, maybe a 70 y.o. movie star IS a young man...


 
Funny you ! LOL !

Actually, we say "bel homme" past (about) 40 years of age. 
( Although I tend to agree with you, in street terms.)


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## Mycall

geve said:
			
		

> I have to agree with Pieanne.
> 
> Why can't a woman be 'potable' ?


 
   Gloups ! Of course she can. It's just the man that can't be "mettable"...


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## JazzByChas

Mycall said:
			
		

> Gloups ! Of course she can. It's just the man that can't be "mettable"...


 
I don't quite understand the logic behind that one, Mycall...please explain. (anyone can jump in on this one...)


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## Amityville

It's what some call gender stereotyping, and others maybe call chivalry. The French attitude to relations between the sexes could be called postmodern, but only from the outside. 'Mettable' doesn't appear to be very chivalrous however...Mycall -is it your call ?


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## Mycall

JazzByChas said:
			
		

> I don't quite understand the logic behind that one, Mycall...please explain. (anyone can jump in on this one...)


 
  Sorry, I didn't think this would have struck up a debate. I simply wished to report two apparently widespread expressions amongst today's youths. "Mettable" is far from refined, I'll give you that, but there's far worse...where it came from...


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## Mycall

Amityville said:
			
		

> Mycall -is it your call ?


 
   Not in so many words it isn't. More like in "Let's call it a day" .


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## JazzByChas

Mycall said:
			
		

> Sorry, I didn't think this would have struck up a debate. I simply wished to report two apparently widespread expressions amongst today's youths. "Mettable" is far from refined, I'll give you that, but there's far worse...where it came from...


 
Well, I figured this applied to youth, because, as had been stated above, more mature adults use euphamism/subtlety/understatement to express things, especially desirability. Among America's youth (since I can't really speak well for other countries), _*mettable*_ would be similar to using (non-chivalrous) terms to express desire (of any kind  ) for each other, e.g. "S/he's Hot" or "S/he's a hottie!"  There are few terms meant solely for the male of the species, e.g. "He's a hunk", and the same for those referencing females, e.g. "She's a honey"  The deliniation between male and female on the latter is blurring.

Bottom line is, I guess that is France's (somewhat) sexist culture (refer to  Agnès'/Amityville's posts).  I don't really think it has to do with chivalry, just the way French men perceive French women (and vice versa)
::: Chas. is ready to duck to bullets :::


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