Old-Fashioned French Expression
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| Meaning | open-mouthed, agape | |
| Literally | mouth open | |
| Register | normal but old-fashioned | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[boosh bay] |
| IPA | [buʃ be] | |
Usage notes: The French expression bouche bée indicates tremendous surprise, either good or bad: the person is so astonished that they’re standing open-mouthed and staring at the source of the surprise. Bouche bée has numerous possible translations:
- to be agape
- to be astonished
- to be flabbergasted
- to be stunned
- to drop one’s jaw
- to stand agape
- to stand gaping
- to stand open-mouthed
Bouche bée can be used on its own or with the verbs être, rester, or regarder.
Par exemple…
| Bouche bée, il a regardé fixement le tableau étonnant pendant 10 minutes. | He stared, gaping, at the astonishing painting for 10 minutes. | |
| J’en suis bouche bée ! | I’m flabbergasted (about it)! | |
| Elle m’a regardé bouché bée. | She stared at me in amazement. |
The word bée is the feminine past participle of the literary verb béer – to be wide open.
The expression bouche bée is a bit old-fashioned, so you should use it sparingly.
Synonyms
- abasourdi – stunned
- ahuri – stupefied
- béant – wide open
- choqué – shocked
- ébahi – astounded
- étonné – astonished
- sans voix – speechless
- stupéfié – stupefied
- surpris – surprised
Informal - baba – astonished
- sidéré – staggered, dumbfounded
Related lessons
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