French Terms of Endearment, Expressions, and Other Items of Note

FRENCH TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

Mon petit chou

“My little cabbage.” Can be used romantically to mean

“my darling,” or said to a younger person (“my little one.”)

Bonjour mon petit chou, t’as passé une bonne journée?

“Hello my little cabbage, did you have a good day?”

Ma puce

“My flea”

Bonne nuit, ma puce!

“Goodnight, my flea!”

FUN WORDS TO SAY

Pamplemousse

(Pom-pel-moose) grapefruit

Aubergine

(Oh-bear-jean) eggplant

Chantilly

(Shan-tee) whipped cream
(or a kind of lace)

Gros

(Grow) big

Dodo

(Doe-doe) a baby’s naptime

Coucou

(Coo-coo) Hello there!

EXPRESSIONS

Avoir un chat dans la gorge

To have a cat in your throat.
(Like the expression, “I have a frog in my throat.”)

Revenons a nos moutons.

Let’s get back to our sheep.
(Meaning, return to the subject at hand.)

Oui, quand les poules auront des dents.

Yes, when chicken have teeth. (Like the expression, “When pigs fly!”)

WHAT TO ORDER AT A RESTAURANT

Bonjour, Monsieur. Puis-je avoir un croque monsieur avec une salade verte? Et aussi un coca s’il vous plaît?

Hello, sir. May I please have a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a green salad? And a Coke, please.

BOOKS WITH A FRENCH SETTING

Madeline

by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Eloise in Paris

by Kay Thompson

Hunchback of Notre Dame

by Victor Hugo

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas