Family Words in French
Two of these words are pronounced in ways their spelling does not suggest. Both are marked below.
Parents and children
-
la mère
lah mehr
-
mother
maman in everyday speech
-
le père
luh pehr
-
father
papa in everyday speech
-
les parents
lay pah-RON
-
parents
-
la fille
lah fee
-
daughter, girl
The ll sounds like y, and the word means both
-
le fils
luh feess
-
son
The l is silent. It rhymes with peace
-
l'enfant
lon-FON
-
child
Brothers, sisters and grandparents
-
la sœur
lah sur
-
sister
-
le frère
luh frehr
-
brother
-
la grand-mère
lah gron-MEHR
-
grandmother
mamie in everyday speech
-
le grand-père
luh gron-PEHR
-
grandfather
papi in everyday speech
-
les grands-parents
lay gron-pah-RON
-
grandparents
-
le petit-fils
luh puh-tee-FEESS
-
grandson
la petite-fille for a granddaughter
The wider family
-
la tante
lah tont
-
aunt
-
l'oncle
LONKL
-
uncle
-
la cousine
lah koo-ZEEN
-
cousin (female)
-
le cousin
luh koo-ZAN
-
cousin (male)
-
la femme
lah fam
-
wife, woman
Said fam, not fem
-
le mari
luh mah-REE
-
husband
-
la famille
lah fah-MEE
-
family
Mon, ma and the exception nobody warns you about
My is mon before a masculine word and ma before a feminine one: mon frère, ma sœur.
The exception is sound, not gender. Before a word starting with a vowel, ma becomes mon so the two words run together smoothly, which is why it is mon amie even for a female friend.
For more than one, both become mes: mes parents, mes sœurs.
- C'est ma sœur.This is my sister.
- J'ai deux frères.I have two brothers.
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