How to use the expression AVOIR BEAU

When reaching a certain level in a language, you start finding expressions. And, if you translate word for word, it won’t work. That is why, you need to switch to the “French” brain and translate the idea instead.

We are going to play with the expression “avoir beau”, deconstruct it, see how to use it in different contexts. We're also going to learn 3 useful expressions and a proverb.

Let’s begin:

 What does AVOIR BEAU mean in French? 

 First, let’s translate each word:

• avoir >>> to have
• beau >>> handsome, pretty  (the feminine is “belle”)

However, the 2 words together have nothing to do with this! Indeed, “avoir beau” means to be “no good” or  to do something “in vain” because you're wasting your time and energy.

AVOIR BEAU in the present tense.

The beauty of this French expression is you can conjugate the verb. Let’s start with the present tense:

• J’ai beau
• Tu as beau
• Il / elle a beau
•  Nous avons beau
• Vous avez beau
• ils / elles ont beau

Then you add an infinitive. (The infinitive is your verb in its “unchanged state”.) Like this:

• Tu as beau me demander si c’est la bonne couleur : je suis daltonien >>> It’s no good asking me if it’s the right colour: I’m colour blind. 

Now, let’s see an example with the present tense but with the expression of the future with “cet après-midi”:

How to use AVOIR BEAU in the past.

So, you know how to use the structure in the present tense. For the past, do the same with the infinitive after your conjugated verb:

• J’ai eu beau
• Tu as eu beau
• Il / elle a eu beau
•  Nous avons eu beau
• Vous avez eu beau
• ils / elles ont eu beau

In a sentence, it’ll look like this:

• Tu as eu beau lui parler s’il ne te regarde pas - il est sourd >>> It was no good you talking to him if he’s not looking - he’s deaf.

Don’t forget to put your pronoun before the infinitive.

Here’s another illustration of the expression in the past:

4 French idiomatic expressions with “beau”.

In this section, we are going to have fun and talk about 4 expressions. The first one is not that commun because it’s a proverb but the 3 others are. 

• À beau mentir qui vient de loin >>> It’s no good lying - we can see through it. 

With this proverb, you can’t change anything.

The following expression has the exact translation from English:

• Trop beau pour être vrai >>> too good to be true.

Here, you can put anything you want before: “c’est trop beau..” (it’s too good),  “il est trop beau…” (he’s too good), “ce cadeau est trop beau…(this gift is too good)”.

The third expression is quite tricky to understand it at first since it’s not obvious. Basically it means stability in happiness and it comes from the weather forecast.

• La météo est au beau fixe >>> long term greatness ahead. 

And the last one evokes the idea of power because you can control the weather forecast!

• Faire la pluie et le beau temps >>> to think you have permission to do anything you want.

How to use AVOIR BEAU and some expressions.

Now, you have it: you know how to use the French expression “avoir beau” in the present tense and in the past. Of course you can have it in the future and more… In addition, you are aware that this expression entails an opposition because you do something in vain and lose your time and energy.

 Finally, we have extended the topic with 1 proverb and 3 expressions:

• À beau mentir qui vient de loin >>> It’s no good lying - we can see through it. 
• Trop beau pour être vrai >>> too good to be true.

• La météo est au beau fixe >>> long term greatness ahead.

• Faire la pluie et le beau temps >>> to think you have permission to do anything you want.

So, what’s your favourite structure with “avoir beau”? If you still struggle to use it, contact me for more explanation.