bienvenu
French
Etymology
Literally, “well come”, from Old French bienvenu, from Vulgar Latin *bene venūtus, presumably a calque of a Frankish term, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“comer, welcome guest”), from which many modern Germanic forms, as in English welcome. Eclipsed Middle French willecomme, from Old French wilecome (“welcome”), borrowed from Middle Dutch willecome or Middle English welcome.
Many cognates in other Romance languages, such as Spanish bienvenido, Italian benvenuto and Portuguese bem-vindo.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bjɛ̃.v(ə).ny/
Adjective
bienvenu (feminine bienvenue, masculine plural bienvenus, feminine plural bienvenues)
- welcome
- un événement bienvenu
- a welcome event
Usage notes
As an adjective or noun meaning "one who is welcome," bienvenu corresponds in gender to the person who or thing that is welcome. As a noun meaning "the act of welcoming, the state of being welcomed," or an interjection meaning "Welcome!", it is always feminine: bienvenue.
- Son ami était le bienvenu. ― Her friend was welcome.
- Elle a souhaité la bienvenue à son ami. ― She bade her friend welcome.
- Bienvenue! ― Welcome! (to any person or people, invariable for gender or number)
Noun
Participle
bienvenu (feminine bienvenue, masculine plural bienvenus, feminine plural bienvenues)
- past participle of bienvenir
Further reading
- “bienvenu”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.