AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Cheat sheet

Bienvenue or bienvenu: a welcome spelling cheat sheet

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Write Bienvenue ! on arrival, then choose bienvenu, bienvenue, bienvenus or bienvenues in full sentences. A compact rule sheet and seven practice gaps.

In short

Write Bienvenue ! with a final e when greeting anyone on arrival. In vous êtes le bienvenu and similar full expressions, the form agrees with the person or group. As an adjective after a noun, it agrees with that noun: une aide bienvenue.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A host welcoming guests at an open doorway.
An open door makes Bienvenue chez nous ! easy to picture. Illustration: Atelier

Bienvenue · les formes à garder

1 · Arrival: the formula stays fixed

Use Bienvenue ! for one visitor or a group. Keep the final e even when welcoming a man.

Bienvenue, Marc !Welcome, Marc!

Bienvenue à tous !Welcome, everyone!

2 · One man or one woman

In this full expression, the article and ending match the person. Singular vous still refers to one person.

Marc, vous êtes le bienvenu.Marc, you are welcome.

Lina, vous êtes la bienvenue.Lina, you are welcome.

3 · A group

For a mixed group or a group of men, use les bienvenus. For a group of women, use les bienvenues.

Marc et Lina, vous êtes les bienvenus.Marc and Lina, you are welcome.

Lina et Nora, vous êtes les bienvenues.Lina and Nora, you are welcome.

4 · Welcome help or news

As an adjective, bienvenu agrees with the thing described. Here the nouns are feminine.

Merci pour cette aide bienvenue.Thank you for this welcome help.

Ces précisions sont bienvenues.These clarifications are welcome.

5 · The noun in souhaiter la bienvenue

Learn the whole expression: souhaiter la bienvenue à quelqu’un. The feminine noun stays la bienvenue, whoever arrives.

Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à Marc.We welcome Marc.

L’équipe souhaite la bienvenue aux nouvelles participantes.The team welcomes the new female participants.

6 · At a place or at someone’s home

Use à for a town and chez for someone’s home. These arrival greetings keep the fixed formula.

Bienvenue à Lyon !Welcome to Lyon!

Bienvenue chez nous !Welcome to our home!

Study first: four agreeing forms

The adjective and the full personal expression
ReferenceFormExample
Masculine singularbienvenuun conseil bienvenu
Feminine singularbienvenueune aide bienvenue
Masculine or mixed pluralbienvenusVous êtes les bienvenus, Marc et Lina.
Feminine pluralbienvenuesVous êtes les bienvenues, Lina et Nora.

English also uses “you’re welcome” after thanks. For that everyday reply, learn De rien or Je vous en prie. On this page, Bienvenue ! greets an arrival; the sentence around bienvenu tells you whether agreement is needed.

Seven gaps: choose the missing form

Use the sentence and the person or noun described to choose the ending. An arrival greeting stays fixed; a full personal expression or an adjective needs agreement.

Question 1No account needed
Welcome Hugo on arrival.___, Hugo !

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Bienvenue. The fixed arrival greeting is Bienvenue !, even for one man.

Question 2No account needed
Address one man with vous.Hugo, vous êtes le ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenu. Singular vous refers to Hugo; le bienvenu is masculine singular.

Question 3No account needed
Address one woman.Nora, tu es la ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenue. La bienvenue is the feminine singular form for Nora.

Question 4No account needed
Welcome Hugo and Nora in the full expression.Hugo et Nora, vous êtes les ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenus. A mixed group takes the masculine plural les bienvenus.

Question 5No account needed
Welcome Nora and Lina in the full expression.Nora et Lina, vous êtes les ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenues. Two women take the feminine plural les bienvenues.

Question 6No account needed
Make the adjective agree with précisions.Merci pour ces précisions ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenues. Précisions is feminine plural, so the adjective is bienvenues.

Question 7No account needed
Complete the fixed noun expression.Je souhaite la ___ à Hugo et à Nora.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bienvenue. The noun stays la bienvenue in souhaiter la bienvenue à.

Keep going