Beaucoup vs très

Question

Hello,I noticed when using the word beaucoup it can also mean very besides to mean a lot. Do you only use beaucoup with the preposition de after it to mean very? For example Elle a beaucoup de la chance au casino.Thank youNicole

Accepted Answer

Elle a beaucoup de chance - She has a lot of luck. Elle est très chanceuse - She is very lucky. 
It is not that 'beaucoup' translates directly to the English word 'very' in the first example - it is a non-literal (free) translation which is really 2 steps from the French phrase to the English. The fact that it ends up as 'very' in English in a free translation, doesn't mean très and beaucoup (de) are interchangeable in French - the first French sentence cannot be «Elle a très chance», and the second sentence cannot be «Elle est beaucoup (de) chanceuse».

Answer

Thanks Maarten